Advertising

betterbargains4u · 7 February 2006 at 11:58PM

Hi all

Just need some advice on where and how to advertise my business cheaply and effectively.
I own a chocolate fountain hire business and have tried the local papers and even wedding directories with hardly any response.
Am advertising through total travel and on ebay..but need a wider approach.
Has anyone got any ideas...please.

bridiej · 8 February 2006 at 1:30AM

The most effective ways I found was either word of mouth, website or Yellow Pages

lday77 · 8 February 2006 at 10:36AM

I'm thinking of using Yellow Pages, do you know if you can haggle with them over price? I am a knew business.

vansboy · 8 February 2006 at 11:13AM

Yellow Pages does have a 'deal' offered to you, shortly before they close the date for booking an ad.Yoou'll need to find out when this is, for your area, but remember, you're advertising for NEXT year, not instant results!

So try...

Anyone that works in parties, entertainers, clowns bouncy castle hirers & similar - pay them a commission, for creating a booking.

Nightclubs - especially with Valentines day coming up

Schools - for end of term events

Car dealers - with new model launches

VB

You

WeirdoMagnet · 8 February 2006 at 2:02PM

How about a letter (and leaflet if you have one) to wedding coordinators at wedding/events venues?

In the letter, introduce yourself and the product (with facts and figures if appropriate), why people should choose a choc fountain etc. Offer to give them a demo etc so you can meet them.

I'd ring round the places you intend to write to and get names - writing to a 'person' rather than 'To The Wedding Coordinator' gets a much better response.

Georgina

WHOSTHATGIRL_XX · 8 February 2006 at 4:19PM

Hi, we are new to business too and are in exactly the same boat when it comes to advertising. It really is so expensive! This is what we did....we ordered 250 FREE business cards from Vistaprint.com and signed up for emails from them. Since then we get emails almost every day from them offering us freebies such as 100 postcards, brocures, glossy business cards and return address envalopes (we have had all of these and quality is great).

I gotta say we have always been very impressed with our items and you design and order everything online....we even did our wedding invitations with them! All you pay is VAT and P&P. Postcards are great to put up in shops and pass to clients to pass onto others. Word of mouth is best but backed up with a glossy postcard is very professional and cheap!

Hope this helps and best of luck with your new business. xx

Savvy_Sue · 9 February 2006 at 1:22AM

Definitely schools. There are some free magazines in which you can advertise but that's not cheap. If you can offer to run a stall at school events, split your profits with them and give away lots of business cards that might help.

betterbargains4u · 9 February 2006 at 10:53AM

Many thanks guys.
Some great ideas. Some we have in operation already, but also a couple to think about.
If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know.
I always click on the thankyou button, for anyone who spends the time to reply.

gingerdad · 9 February 2006 at 11:08AM

To through my 2p in,

I would avoid yellow pages at this time due to cost and time delay.

I would contact all local venues, caterers, wedding planners. visit the hotels in person, as they will always reccomond various people.

is there any wedding fayres on - these could be worth a visit and also try to exibhit at them.

After your inital contact with the venues follow it up make sure your on their prefered supplier list.

Write to all hotels who run weddings and arrange appointments to go and talk to them, theres nothing better than face to face discussions with them.

again depending where you are in the country i can supply you with some hotel contacts in my area.

a void vista print if you are trying to show a professional service, most printes can run a postcard of simple leaflet off, also if you have a business card use both sides, that could be all the advertising you need.

I may also be worth contacting your local tourist board - the one up here is pushing wedding venues this year and they maybe able to put you in contact with them.

but the best thing is to get out and visit the venues and anywhere they may have an infulance over what the bride and groom do.

GD

gingerdad · 9 February 2006 at 11:09AM

WHOSTHATGIRL_XX wrote:

I gotta say we have always been very impressed with our items and you design and order everything online....we even did our wedding invitations with them! All you pay is VAT and P&P. Postcards are great to put up in shops and pass to clients to pass onto others. Word of mouth is best but backed up with a glossy postcard is very professional and cheap!

Any Marketing print is not VAT able

betterbargains4u · 9 February 2006 at 11:26AM

Me again
Just changed my avator to show you what my chocolate fountain operation looks like.
Doesn't look quite as good as it should in a thumbnail, but at least it gives you an idea.

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