Post Cards

[picframer]

I had a marketing company design a professional post card that I would mail drop into very specific areas of the city, what we call the South End, a very rich area where, for the most part, it's hiring someone to do it for you and keeping up with the neighbours. On the woodworking side 80% of our sales to locals go in this area. So the drive of this post card was our Organic Products, Professional Lawn Care and Clean Up's, the card is very sharp. I dropped 3,500 last Thursday, not one call or email has been generated. Two weeks ago I ran a very simple short ad in a local newspaper, cost was $18.50, it's drive was mini excavation, I received over twenty grand in contracts and am still receiving calls. So I guess a lesson learned, I am a bit shocked at a no response at all, I know this area well and the card really should have sparked some attention. Andy

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

How to get lawn care customers - Vol 2

Originally Posted by picframer On the woodworking side 80% of our sales to locals go in this area. Andy, what type of woodworking do you do? I aquired a very nice trunk from a cherry tree today. 2.5'+ diameter, 5' long. The people who cut it down put it by the side of the road for the brush truck. I thought it was too good to waste. I'm looking for ideas to put it to use. I don't have many woodworking tools other than a chainsaw :-) Keith

__________________

[swstout]

Originally Posted by picframer

I had a marketing company design a professional post card that I would mail drop into very specific areas of the city, what we call the South End, a very rich area where, for the most part, it's hiring someone to do it for you and keeping up with the neighbours. On the woodworking side 80% of our sales to locals go in this area.

So the drive of this post card was our Organic Products, Professional Lawn Care and Clean Up's, the card is very sharp.

I dropped 3,500 last Thursday, not one call or email has been generated.

Two weeks ago I ran a very simple short ad in a local newspaper, cost was $18.50, it's drive was mini excavation, I received over twenty grand in contracts and am still receiving calls.

So I guess a lesson learned, I am a bit shocked at a no response at all, I know this area well and the card really should have sparked some attention.

Andy

I said in a post before that Post Cards and Ad packs probably were intercepted by the wife who considers the lawn the 'duty' of the man of the house and promptly discards it. I didn't think it would be worthwile and passed.

Like you, I ran a block ad in our local paper in the Services section. $120.00 a quarter (13 weeks). I started the ad last week (it comes out every Monday and is home delivered) and so far I have received 61 calls and my website is getting 35-40 hits a day. I wanted to get 50 accounts this year (my first) and as of today I have 41. I gave 11 estimates today and have 10 set for tomorrow.

I think newspaper ads make you look more 'real' to the customers.

Steve

[Steve]

Does anyone have a theory on why the newspaper ads seem to be doing better than the direct mail?

Is the medium you are advertising in?

Is it the message?

Or something else?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by StartALawnCareBusiness

Andy, what type of woodworking do you do? I aquired a very nice trunk from a cherry tree today. 2.5'+ diameter, 5' long. The people who cut it down put it by the side of the road for the brush truck. I thought it was too good to waste.

I'm looking for ideas to put it to use. I don't have many woodworking tools other than a chainsaw :-)

Keith

Figured and exotic woods, mainly high end crafts, custom picture framing, here is my website www.oakridgeyardcare.ca I could make a very good living from this and have in the past however I wanted to start a company that would allow me to work outside, then it dawned on my Organic Lawn Care and Mini excavation, sunny days are outside, rainy days are in the shop.

The Mini excavation and Organic spraying took off but I can't even get a nibble on lawn care.

That trunk would be excellent for turning, expecially bowls and Cherry is a Very easy wood to turn.

Andy

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

Does anyone have a theory on why the newspaper ads seem to be doing better than the direct mail?

Is the medium you are advertising in?

Is it the message?

Or something else?

As Steve pointed out perhaps the other half is catching it or people simply do not like junk mail. I spent a lot of bucks on this, what I did first was ask my woodworking clients in this area if they read ad mail, their response was sometimes "if it catches my eye" and "it is printed on professional cards", I asked about flyers, the majority said they do not read flyers and if printed on a color photocopy paper, it's used to start a fire, so the message was clear.

Hired a local marketing company, told them what I wanted, they came back with 3 designs, went back to my woodworking clients and asked them to choose, also asked people at the market where we sell woodworking which one they liked, all but one selected the same card, had 10,000 printed.

The message is basically the same, driving them to the website, I ask every caller or email, how did you hear about us, 97% is newspaper, 3% search engine. I am not including word of mouth, also picked up three jobs from people who saw one of our trucks and wrote the number down.

So I will give it one more shot and send 5,000 into the upper middle class and see what happens, it is a very expensive way to get the name out, even if I had one call.....

What I did this evening is write a large number of clients asking if they received our Lawncare Card.

[picframer]

Wrong website www.picframer.ca

[swstout]

Originally Posted by Steve

Does anyone have a theory on why the newspaper ads seem to be doing better than the direct mail?

Is the medium you are advertising in?

Is it the message?

Or something else?

I think the newspaper ads are more effective because the customer is looking for the service. With direct mail, the service is looking for the customer!

Steve

[Steve]

What I did this evening is write a large number of clients asking if they received our Lawncare Card.

Did you email them? Were you just interested in knowing if they received it or if they had any thoughts on the ad?

[picframer]

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Originally Posted by Steve

Did you email them? Were you just interested in knowing if they received it or if they had any thoughts on the ad?

I want to see if anyone has seen the card in case Canada Post screwed up and they didn't get out, then I can go back at the post office as I paid over $690.00 just for the mail drop.