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Every time you advertise (with postcards, notepads, calendars, or whatever) -- you take a big gamble. After all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll recoup your costs through increased sales. First, look at your advertising choices. Your advertising choices: Bus Stop Benches I have a friend in Denver. He advertised on bus stop benches at all the entrances to his target area subdivisions. It worked great. He even bought the company that did the benches. He then put his ads all over town. That didn't work so well. He learned that to be effective, you must pick one area and be consistent. If you can get a bus stop bench ad at the entrance to your target area, get it. Don't waste your money anywhere else. Postcards Postcards may be the second best way to advertise. We used to be a postcard company. If you can get a well designed postcard with information that people want to keep, it can be as good as a calendar or even a notepad. Still everyone won't keep your card. Everyone will keep your notepad. Don't buy them through your office. These are made to push your company, not YOU. You are selling you, not the company. Trinkets (Pens, letter openers, bottle openers, etc.) Quick, what's the name on pen you last used? Never looked? Don't feel bad. Nobody else looks at these things either. Calendars Calendars are great. I have lots and lots of them throughout my house. But that's the problem. I hardly ever see the cheap free ones I get because they are not in the Kitchen or office where I spend my time. That's because I get really nice calendars for Christmas or my wife buys ones with kitties or puppies all over them. I'm sorry, I am not going to put a freebie real estate calendar up in the kitchen and get all those people mad at me. If you decide to use them, don't buy them through your office. These are made to push your company, not YOU. You are selling you, not the company. Newsletters Newsletters are great too. These are read by people that know you already. If you get a newsletter from someone you have never heard of, it goes in the trash. Send them to your current customers or friends. They are expensive but effective for a small group of people. Again, if you decide to use them, don't buy them through your office. These are made to push your company, not YOU. You are selling you, not the company. A good newsletter company is www.newsletterservices.com. Door Hangars No one will keep these. They are only good to let the neighborhood know about a current listing. Notepads OK, I'll admit it, I don't know the name of the agent on any of the pads that I have at home. BUT, when I went to sell my house last time, where do you think I went? Do you think I went through the trash to find the postcards and newsletters I got last week? No. I had the name of my local agent right in front of me all the time on a notepad. If you give them a pad of 50 sheets, that is like sending them 50 postcards. You can call them notepads, note pads, scratch pads, tablets or whatever, but call them effective. You already know not to waste your time and money on these. Enough said. I think I have made a pretty good case for notepads. But you need more convincing? Here's how it works: Notepads are printed with your information in your format. Give then to your customers. They are fully customized by you. A professional designer will make up a design and send you a proof based on the ordering information you provide. Then, you can change the design however you want. Pads can be made in 1 or 2 colors. With or without lines. They are available in 2 sizes- 3 1/2" X 8" or 4. 1/4" X 5 1/2". We price our pads in Bulk. No paying $6.95 per pad.
These are samples to show you what size we currently make. If you want a different size, just ask. We do up to 8 1/2" X 11".
Notepads are 3 1/2" X 8" or 4. 1/4" X 5 1/2"" and contain 15, 25 or 50 sheets per pad with a cardboard backing. |
