Opening new business & considering classified advertising in Irish Times & Examiner.

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Firefly

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Hi all,

Mrs Firefly is opeing her own business next week and we're considering classified advertising in the Irish Times and The Examiner. Just wondering if anyone could recommend which days were best or whether it was worth it at all!

We're thinking of a month in each paper on the inside classified sections and a back page advert on the Irish Times for a week or two.

Thanks,
Firefly.
 
Good luck with your plans.

In general I suspect that national newspaper advertising is potentially more useful to an existing business than to a startup. In general, you might also be better off concentrating your efforts online. I agree though that its impossible to say much without knowing what sort of business it is.
 
As others have said, it really does depend on the type of business and your target audience.

Facebook can be very effective for example depending on the product.
 
Thanks for your help and kind wishes...after over 3 1/2 years at home with the babas it's a big move to "go out on your own" and I'm immensely proud of her.

Regarding the business type, it's a medical/clinical practice. Previously the governing institute had strict advertising guidlines in place ...you could "announce" that you have opened or if there are major changes to the practice rather than advertise you wares so to speak. They have relaxed on this a little bit, so from this perspective small classifieds look like an option. A website is also allowed and I have this under control but facebook and the like would not be suitable.
 
I'm not sure if national newspaper adverts would be in any way effective for what is essentially a local business. Perhaps local newspapers/freesheets or suitably tasteful local guerilla or viral marketing might yield more results at less or zero financial cost respectively?
 
T McGibney said:
I'm not sure if national newspaper adverts would be in any way effective for what is essentially a local business. Perhaps local newspapers/freesheets or suitably tasteful local guerilla or viral marketing might yield more results at less or zero financial cost respectively?
Click to expand...

Thanks for that...after looking into this a bit more we have decided to place adverts in local newspapers for now.

Thanks again,
Firefly.
 
Best of luck to her with the new business.
I agree that local newspapers are the best bet. Fliers in the door in the local area could also work.
When/if she adds additional services she should “announce” those services the same way.
 
Re. The Examiner.

Stay away from the start of the week. Thurs through to Saturday seem to be the days people advetise mostly with Saturday being the favourite.

Even though we buy the paper every day Monday to Wednesday I'd consider to be a waste of money.

Friday is the day for jobs, Saturday the day that seems to get most attention.

Re. online .. would you consider an Adwords campaign down the road?
 
Thanks for all the kind wishes. It's a big step for us!

PaddyBloggit said:
Re. online .. would you consider an Adwords campaign down the road?
Click to expand...

We have a guy from the Golden Pages calling soon and they have some online offering now that incorporates Google searches and the like so we'll see what comes of it. We require a 1 page "brochure" website (very static informtation) and I'm working on this at the moment. I have the .ie and .com's already reserved so getting there...
 
Firefly said:
A website is also allowed and I have this under control but facebook and the like would not be suitable.
Click to expand...

I think you may be unwise not to take advantage of the social networks.

You don't have to be direct and run a Facebook page about the business.

You could have people not directly connected with the business making posts about it :)

Best of luck with it regardless.


ONQ.
 
I agree with ONQ.

We spent a small fortune on advertising with the national newspapers. We didn't as much as get one telephone call.

My preferences would be Facebook or local newspapers.
 
(nods)

+1 What Kerrigan has posted.

We also spent a fortune advertising with the Golden Pages.

We did get one telephone call.

That led to nothing.
 
I never use the Golden Pages ... I always google it.

If it's not on google I move on to someone/a business that is.
 
A new medical practic/clinice has just opened in the Sandyford ("a revolution in GP care"). They distributed leaflets with all the benefits. I don't know how widespread the distribution was but i'm two miles away so probably at least 10.000 leaflets.
Have you seen An Post leaflet service plus the private companies ?

Local newspapers and leaflets are the best ways to go for a smaller catchment area.
 
oldnick said:
A new medical practic/clinice has just opened in the Sandyford ("a revolution in GP care"). They distributed leaflets with all the benefits. I don't know how widespread the distribution was but i'm two miles away so probably at least 10.000 leaflets.
Have you seen An Post leaflet service plus the private companies ?

Local newspapers and leaflets are the best ways to go for a smaller catchment area.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that - it's a different type of business but I'll look into it.
 
+1 on what Oldnick said about An Post - I've used them and they are a good if expensive way to get coverage.
They are also faultlessly reliable, although there can be limits on what days "drops" can go out.

You could also ask for help and advice from your local elected representative.
Not for a dodgy planning application, but the names of their leaflet droppers.

Most T.D.'s election machines have armies of people who drop leaflets for a small amount and who know the areas well.
However you may have to have to follow up to make sure the were delivered.

You could do a spot check on house on each road and take the time to introduce the service in person at the door.
It would help if the checker had benefited from a service being provided there and so could give a personal recommendation.

After all, nothing sells like a personal recommendation by word of mouth.
 
Remember the 4 P's - Product, Price, Place, Promotion - apply to the Health Sector as much as any market sector.
Here is a link which suggests it deals with social marketing in this sector, although I see little enough of the mechanics of how to do it.

In particular there is no reference to Ssearhc Engine Optimization for the website or the part content plays in improving the rating of a website.
Integration of social media to mutually reinforce coverage is also not covered.

The role of LinkedIn registration for professionals and companies is omitted.
All should be looked at with a view to directly or indirectly improving "sale".


ONQ.
 
I know a number of small companies who used Golden Pages online and stopped as it was a waste of money for the number of calls and leads they got out of it

In terms of the Examiner (and I presume this new venture is in the "real capital", is a better approach to try and do some PR and get a story in the paper rather then an ad.? The Examiner has a health section on Friday for example and they might be willing to do a puff piece if the service provided was slightly different or in an area which has been lacking in such businesses in the past. Likewise if you know anyone with a bit of fame attached to them (a hurler or footballer or a TD looking for their name in the paper for example) could you get them to open the business and invite the local press along

Also don't forget parish newsletters, usually they'll accept notices/ads either free of charge or for a small donation
 
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