Simple cheap Advertising

[Chris Ashdown]

For the successful companies that make a sale, a simple advertising method is the enclosed invoice along with the goods

Its cheap and easy to have some one sided adverts of other goods you sell printed onto one side of the paper (say 6-10 small colour images) and then use the blank side to print your invoice. Cost maybe pennies per leaflet / invoice

Often people search for a item and go directly onto that page and buy the item , Probably never bothering to look at the rest of the site

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Why not just put a leaflet in the box?

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Why not just put a leaflet in the box?

Double the cost and invoices are kept

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

invoices are kept

Maybe with B2B, not necessarily with B2C.

A nice A5 double sided leaflet is under 2p each and, depending on the business, worth every penny.

 

[StevensOnln1]

Double the cost and invoices are kept

How many people actually keep paper invoices rather than downloading/saving a PDF version? I certainly wouldn't keep paper copies when I already have the PDF in most instances.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It was just a idea, so much negativity on this forum

 

[Mark T Jones]

On 'better than nothing' principles, it makes sense

Nothing to lose. Zero cost - if just one hits, you've won.

And let's be honest 'better than nothing' pretty much describes 80% of small business marketing efforts.

 

[ctrlbrk]

How many people actually keep paper invoices rather than downloading/saving a PDF version? I certainly wouldn't keep paper copies when I already have the PDF in most instances.

In which case @Chris Ashdown could use the same PDF file for both the invoice and an extra page for the other goods.

I personally don't see a downside to this.

 

[Ozzy]

My thoughts waved reading the posts above, because at the outset I was thinking from my personal view. I don't see the invoices sent to my company, so if someone wanted to 'advertise' to me I wouldn't see it, but then I see Chris's 'negativity' comment and then Mark's 'better than nothing' comment and then I thought - guess it doesn't do any harm

So I thought back to my very early days of growing this forum, over 20 years ago, and I did that by including a postcard flier in with the Limited Company paperwork for every company I registered when I used to own and run Quick Formations. That postcard worked really well, but these days people don't get their company paperwork by post - it's all by email, so what would I do now in a similar situation - not sure.

What I have seen that works, for me in a B2C context anyway, is when I've ordered homemade crafts or goods from adverts I've seen online - they often include a personal thank you note with a second-order type of offer. I always keep those if I like the goods. So I guess, making it personal - that appeals to me perhaps more as I'm a massive advocate for startups, side hustles, and basically wanting to support someone just 'giving it go' to run their own venture.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

It is a good idea that needed developing!

My first business, breaking away from corporate, was this exact thing.

I had access to over 20,000,000 consumer electronics & electricals and created a new type of commodity marketing - in box insertion (although done for many years, I made it a mass market concept).

I would sell a leaflet to be inserted into a product box that had synergy with the advertiser's product e.g. bread in toasters, blank tapes (remember them) in VCRs & audio cassette products etc. I would charge 5-10p per insertion (includes print etc) for contracts of about 100k+ unit.

Funnily enough, whilst clients who we approached direct 'got it' their advertising/promotion/marketing agencies never really did (allegedly!).

 

[TCH]

Why not just put a leaflet in the box?

sound advice, but it may be worth mentioning that FBA is a bit different

and I quote

"Why Pamphlets are Often Restricted:

Maintaining Customer Experience:
Amazon wants to control the overall customer experience on its platform, and including unauthorized marketing materials could disrupt this.

Preventing Unwanted Direct Sales:
Amazon is very strict about sellers trying to steer customers to their own websites or alternative sales channels.

Protecting Amazon's Sales:
Amazon wants to ensure that all sales are made through their platform and that they receive their commission."

 

[fisicx]

I get sent invoices electronically. And the email contains promotions.

Almost everything I buy online arrives with some offer or another in the box. Usually a coupon.

Can’t see a downside to this @Chris Ashdown. Stuff in the box and stuff with the invoice.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

We must have sent out a couple of thousand items in recent years. T-shirts, Coasters, Keyrings, Raffle Prizes etc., and whilst it's difficult to know if doing so has been instrumental in securing their business, thankyou's have been non existent.

The invoice idea wouldn't work for me as customers only order a couple of times a year and have very short memories but a good idea for some I'm sure

 

[Martin Patfield]

I had a cold call during lock down from a printer cartridge supplier.

Hooked me with the "free chocolates thrown in the box" concept and understanding how long our toner lasts (ish) and calling at appropriate times. Repeat business to them since.


Depends where your invoices are being sent. I doubt Debs in Accounts cares what you sell.
The person purchasing probably would so a a5 insert with the product delivered would be more beneficial.

 

[Gecko001]

An invoice is a legal document. Is putting an advert on it treating it with the respect it deserves?

 

[HFE Signs]

For the successful companies that make a sale, a simple advertising method is the enclosed invoice along with the goods

Its cheap and easy to have some one sided adverts of other goods you sell printed onto one side of the paper (say 6-10 small colour images) and then use the blank side to print your invoice. Cost maybe pennies per leaflet / invoice

Often people search for a item and go directly onto that page and buy the item , Probably never bothering to look at the rest of the site

We did exactly this many years ago, we nearly always had people requesting invoices as they thought they were a flyer and threw them away, not saying it doesn't work as in essence its is a good idea.

The modern way to do this is utilising digital re-marketing campaigns, where the goal is to re-target people who have visited your site or similar sites.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Who puts an advert/promo at the bottom of all system & staff emails?

 

[fisicx]

Who puts an advert/promo at the bottom of all system & staff emails?

I really hate this.

I'm in an email chain with a client and they have nearly 60 lines of junk below their message. Which considering we have been back and forth for a week it means hundreds of lines of signature and associated guff each one often following a two line reply.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

I'm in an email chain with a client and they have nearly 60 lines of junk below their message.

I get that, but it can be stopped/reduced by setting replies to not have signature (via your email client/system)!

 

[AlanJ1]

I'm in an email chain with a client and they have nearly 60 lines of junk below their message. Which considering we have been back and forth for a week it means hundreds of lines of signature and associated guff each one often following a two line reply.

I would seriously tell them where to go + ask them to do what Paul has just mentioned. Can't be bothered with that when having to read through replies!

 

[fisicx]

I did ask them but they didn’t understand the question. Technologically challenged.

But they are paying well.