Newspaper Classifieds

[cleancutlawncare5382]

The local paper has a 13 week special for business ads, $73 per month if you pay before the 15th. That would take me thru the 1st week of Nov. which would take in the 2nd half of the growing season and into fall.

How does this look before I place the add??

Name - Quality Lawn Care
Mow-Trim-Organic fertilizer
Scheduling fall leaf removal
Phone#

Any advice?? Thanks

[picframer]

Do you know how many words you are allowed? It's a good opportunity to put a plug like "If you have compacted soil/clay, we have an Organic product that can solve it" What other services do you offer? Gutter Cleaning, hedge trim, winter lawn preperation etc.

Leave a question to get the prospect to call you, What do you do for compacted soil, what is winter preperation etc. In short add something to your ad to get their attention and something the competition is not putting in theirs. Even if you can put your website and then add services to your website or put what it is you do.

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

I have ALWAYS liked those business classified sections that many newspapers offer. They have never failed to attract customers.

1 new customer should easily repay your ad price.

Keith

[cleancutlawncare5382]

To my Knowledge no other LCP in the area is offering Organic products so I really want to get this out there. Plus try to pick up some fall work with this one ad.

Paper is offering 4 lines with 24 / 26 letter and spaces per line.

Maybe an ad like this:
Name abbreviated = 4 letters
If you have compacted soil =26 letters
we have an organic solution =27 letters
Winter Lawn prep phone# =25 letters



Other advertising:
I have a application for the Chamber of commerce and have spoke with them on Friday. Sounds like a good idea. 600 members with monthly newsletters and a special write up on new members. You get 1 free insert (flyer) with membership and can pay to have others through out the years.

Have any of you gotten good leads from groups like this??

[picframer]

I do have an ad in the classifieds section of the area where 90% of our work is in, around here most communities have their own paper, I run it in the Spring and Fall, I think it's around $125.00 a month but OMG the calls we get, at least 100 per month, I pull them in the summer because we have grown as much as I want to during this season.

[Steve]

Something I want to point out is in Andy's ad, you don't see his name on the top, but instead you see it on the bottom.

Use the top area to grab the readers attention. A business name won't grab attention.

Other advertising:
I have a application for the Chamber of commerce and have spoke with them on Friday. Sounds like a good idea. 600 members with monthly newsletters and a special write up on new members. You get 1 free insert (flyer) with membership and can pay to have others through out the years.

Have any of you gotten good leads from groups like this??

The more people you meet in your area the better. Keep us posted what you think of your experience with them.

Maybe an ad like this:
Name abbreviated = 4 letters
If you have compacted soil =26 letters
we have an organic solution =27 letters
Winter Lawn prep phone# =25 letters

Can you also change it during the contracted time to see which ad pulls more?

[cleancutlawncare5382]

Something I want to point out is in Andy's ad, you don't see his name on the top, but instead you see it on the bottom.
Use the top area to grab the readers attention. A business name won't grab attention.

Good advice thanks. I placed the ad this morning and moved the name to the bottom.


Can you also change it during the contracted time to see which ad pulls more?

Yes, Wording can be changed as often as you would like.

[cleancutlawncare5382]

Update

Here's the ad thats running, tomorrow will be 3 weeks in the local paper.

Do you have Compacted Soil? We have an organic solution. Lawn winterizing preparation. Quality Lawn care 000-000-2217

So far zero calls, is there anything you guys might do differantly? ( Wording )

Thanks

[Steve]

Is it possible that the average person doesnt know what compacted soil is and what happens when you have compacted soil?

Does the ad need to be dumbed down for the reader?

[cleancutlawncare5382]

Does the ad need to be dumbed down for the reader?

Changed the ad today, took your advise.
New ad.

Professional yard care.
Mow,Trim,Leaf removal
Chemical free spray
pet safe. 000-000-0000

Plan to run this for another 3 weeks and keep track of which ads generate calls. I have 10 more weeks paid for. CAn change as often as needed.

[Steve]

It will be interesting to see how the change effects the number of calls.

My view is this. If you want to promote something specific, such as a common problem lawns experience in your area, you need to explain it.

For instance:

Does your lawn have brown patches?
It could be caused by an infestation of .......(whatever it is)
Call us for a free estimate
We can fix this problem, to make your lawn lush and green again.

You can change these headlines around to work with each change of season.

Keep us posted on how all this goes.

[Norcal]

The local paper has a 13 week special for business ads, $73 per month if you pay before the 15th. That would take me thru the 1st week of Nov. which would take in the 2nd half of the growing season and into fall.

How does this look before I place the add??

Name - Quality Lawn Care
Mow-Trim-Organic fertilizer
Scheduling fall leaf removal
Phone#

Any advice?? Thanks

Most People only get the weekend paper here that would be thursday-sunday if that is the case in your area expect calls on monday and keep your phone handy this late in the season you might want to start your add with are you happy with your current service or to get at the top of the add wiyhout paying to get at the top of the add use a symbol $ saved on lawn care symbols go in first over alphabetically at least in the paper here it does. Also do watever it takes to get just your name in the lawn and garden section of your phone book

Good luck
Mac Leonards Lawn Maint.

[JoshLawn]

None of the printed ads have ever worked for me. USE CRAIGSLIST. It has more the tripled the potential customer response versus printed ads.

[Steve]

What is your view on why they didn't work? How did your print ads differ from your craigslist ads?

What section did your print ads appear? Is it possible there were other sections that might have attracted more attention?

[cleancutlawncare5382]

I’m starting to think advertizing is more seasonal and really depends on your region. I have run Craigslist ads all summer – Classifieds ad in the local paper spring and fall. Fall “Currently running.”

So far not a hit from either. One quote in the spring, guy wanted lawn mowed for $7 not a penny more.

So for this area doesn’t look like paper classifieds or CL works very effectively.

No short cuts for good old fashion social net working. " around here anyway"