Where do you advertise?

Today on the Small Business Think Tank Network on RYZE the question was asked "Where do you advertise?" This is one of my favorite questions and often elicits some controversy and interesting points of view. Here's what my response was:

Although I seldom pay to advertise as generally it is just throwing money away unless the audience is highly targetted (at least 50% my target market).I do advertise on my own sites, in my own publications and those of business associates (we trade when appropriate).

Once in a while I advertise in the classified section of my trade magazines. I have found the classifieds to be the best bang for your buck in terms of dollars spent and exposure.

And of course there is the obligatory yellow page ad that I have actually decreased in size over the years since most new business comes from referrals and our website.

And finally, we do advertise with postcards 2 to 3 times a year to our list of people who have purchased from us in the past.

In 27 + years in business I have tried ads in business journals, newspapers, flyers and door hangings, movie theater advertising, chamber of commerce inserts, local restaurant menus, church bulletins and more. Most of them a HUGE waste of money. Mainly because its either not my target market or they are already customers.

At that point Brian asked me ~ Heidi, How did you create and define your target market?

I have a retail florist (for more than 27 years) and learned early on that my market is generally women (except on Valentines Day when 70+ % of my customers are men). Women buy for their household, for their companies and when they are the gatekeeper, they buy for their boss. So I market mostly to women.

~ Also, do you survey your customers in order to find out HOW they found you???

We have a form next to all our telephones and computer entitled "measure your advertising effectiveness" - we ask every new customer (well, almost every customer) how they heard about us? If it was a referral we ask who referred and then send the referrer a card with $5 Daisy Dollars they can use toward a purchase. We have had some customers get as many as $50 daisy dollars in a months time and they cannot wait to redeem them.

We are not as good about asking this question when our days are nuts - but we do send everyone who uses us the first time a thank-you card and a frequent flower miles punch card.

When someone purchases from the internet we ask the same question, which person or search engine or service did they find us from (links etc.)?

The two most important questions in business - "How did you hear about us?" and "May I quote you?"

My most important business phrase - "Thank you for your business!"

So, where do you advertise?

Heidi

Heidi Richards Mooney, Leader "HER Mastermind Network"

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Chief Goddess - Eden Florist & Gift Baskets