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FREE Advertising: It's out there!
Written by: Bob JanetArticle Overview: The old saying “It does not get any better than FREE” sure is true in the high cost of advertising your business. You can easily become one of those businesses that always seem to be getting mentioned in the media. All you have to do is take advantage of your opportunities when they come a knocking at your door.
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Free Download - Don't operate like a Cave Man.... By Bob Janet |
FREE Advertising: It's out there!
5 ways to get FREE Advertising
1. Media release:
Although you usually do not get all the media releases published/broadcasted, the ones that do are noticed by you prospects and customers, and it’s free. All you have to do is take a few minutes to write the media release and send it. Use media releases for:
A. Promotions of personnel
B. Anniversaries
C. Milestones
D. Accomplishments - major and minor
E. Adding a new product line
F. Remodeling
G. Increasing the size of your rolling fleet
H. New hires
I. Anything that is different or has changed about your business, your people and you.
Here is a simple easy form to follow.
Press release key points:
Double space for ease of reading and editing.
Put the "meat" of what you are trying to get across in the first sentence. Their space is limited.
Don't use specific dates unless you are announcing an event in advance.
Make it easy to contact you, even though they rarely do.
No Sales Pitch - just information.
2. Turn a negative into a positive:
In the winter of 1984 our electronics store was robbed. Upon arriving at the showroom at 2AM and viewing the destruction, televisions and displays turned over and broken and windows broken, I immediately remembered my father always saying “The successful business people turn negatives into positives.” I telephoned the local newspaper and radio station. They are always hungry for a sensational story. They dispatched reporters and photographers. There we were the next day on the front page of the newspaper and the lead off story all day long on the local news. I turned the negative burglary into a positive by gaining free advertising, because I followed up the next day with a storewide burglary sale. A most successful sale. I found it easy to turn a negative into a positive, because people love to see, read about and hear about other’s problems (negatives). I guess that is why there are so many rubbernecks at the scene of an automobile accident. Turn all the negatives you can into positive media coverage.
3. Sponsoring a charitable event:
Now you may be asking yourself, “How can sponsoring a charitable event be free?” You do not have to donate money. Donate your time, or better yet, if you are a brick and mortar business donate your space. I know of many sales we made because we donated the space for local kid’s organizations to hold car washes, bake sales and Christmas tree sales. Of course after each event I sent media releases to all the local media.
4. Be a little different, get noticed:
I did not create the Cat Shoot sale, but when the opportunity came a knocking at my door I answered it and received thousands of dollars in free advertising. Our area had become over populated with stray cats. Almost everyday there were media reports in the newspaper, on the radio and television about the problem and suggested remedies.
Business was a bit slow so I took advantage of the situation to gain free advertising. I spent less than two hundred dollars and received over ten thousand dollars in free advertising.
WARNING: THIS SALE IS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE INTESTINAL FORTITUDE AND DISCIPLINE TO FOLLOW THROUGH TO THE SALES CONCLUSION.
This sale is designed to gain sales and public awareness of your store through the incorrect perception the public will have until the conclusion of the sale. Do not attempt to run the sale if you cannot take the heat until the praise and profits arrive.
Picture the community's reaction when they see this ad:
CAT SHOOT
WIN -- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
PLACE-- PARKING LOT OF JANET'S APPLIANCE, HOGAN BLVD, LOCK HAVEN,PA.
TIME-- SATURDAY 1:35 PM
CONTESTANT REGISTRATION 12:30 PM
ALL GUNS AND AMMUNITION SUPPLIED
The phone rang off the hook. I received calls from every animal activist, the humane society, thelocal and state police, church groups, city officials, hunters, and of course the curious. They all asked, "What is going on? What are you doing? Are you going to shoot cats?"
Our only reply was: "Come to our store Saturday and see for yourself."
Remember, you must have the Intestinal Fortitude and discipline to stick to the rules:
Rule # 1... Once you start you cannot stop.
Rule #2... Do not tell anyone outside your organization what you are actually doing.
Rule #3 ... Invite someone from the local Humane Society or animal shelter to the event.
They will be there.
Rule # 4…When the Media contacts you only say, “Come to our store Saturday and see for yourself,”
or “No comment.”
THE PROMOTION:
a. Have an art student or artist draw big (people size) cutouts of cartoon cats. (Felix the cat, Garfield, Sylvester.)
b. Rent paint guns that shoot paint balls at the sporting good store, or better yet get them to let you use them for free advertising.
c. Set up a shooting gallery like at a fair or carnival.
d. Charge $1 a shot. The one who shoots the cats the most times wins.
e. Before the shooting begins, introduce the representative from the human society or animal shelter and announce that ½ of all proceedes from the shoot will be donated to them.
The next day my picture was on the front page of the newspaper presenting a check to the animal shelter, and I was on the radio and television news all day long. Plus, during the event we channeled thousands of people into our store with sales signage of Cat Shoot Sale Discounts. All creating a great profit day. To take advantage of all the free advertising we continued the Cat Shoot Sale for 12 days, turning the sale into an event.
5. Ask your suppliers:
I have always been amazed that people in the selling business do not ask their suppliers for co-op advertising dollars, advertising collateral, and even man power help to create and conduct promotions. “Ask and you shall receive.” It’s true, and the worst that can happen is they say “NO.” Which they will not if you are a profitable customer of theirs.
The # 1 rule in asking for sales support from a supplier is: Always show them a plan of action of what the promotion will do for them. How giving you money and time will increase their bottom line.
Free advertising is out there for the taking, if you are willing to go after it.
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Article Tags: anniversaries, automobile, burglary, double space, electronics store, few minutes, fleet, free advertising, front page, local news, milestones, photographers, promotions, prospects, radio station, rubbernecks, sensational story, successful business people, televisions
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About the Author: Bob Janet RSS for Bob's articles - Visit Bob's website  Click here to visit Bob's website   Its OK to ask for the sale Really its OK The Giants want to Eat You Selling swimming pools is the same as selling what you sell Back to the things that worked When will the customer buy |
Related Forum Posts
Top 19 Copywriting books
- 1. Ogilvy on Advertising. David Ogilvy. Wiley.
2. Positioning: The Battle for your Mind. Al Ries and Jack Trout. Warner.
3. The New Positioning. Jack Trout. McGraw-Hill.
4. Tested Advertising Methods. John Caples. Prentice-Hall.
5. How to Make your Advertising Make Money. John Caples. Prentice-Hall.
6. Guerrilla Advertising. Jay Conrad Levinson. Houghton Mifflin.
7. Direct Mail Copy that Sells. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall.
8. Sales Letters that Sizzle. Herschell Gordon Lewis. NTC Business Books.
9. Herschell Gordon Lewis on the Art of Writing Copy. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall.
10. Romancing the Brand. David Martin. American Management Association.
11. The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, George Gribbin, David Ogilvy, Rosser Reeves. NTC Business Books.
12. Confessions of an Advertising Man. David Ogilvy. NTC Business Books.
13. My Life in Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books.
14. Scientific Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books.
15. How to Become an Advertising Man. James Webb Young. NTC Business Books.
16. The Lasker Story as He Told It. NTC Business Books.
17. Advertising Concept and Copy. George Felton. Prentice Hall.
18. The Copy WorkShop Workbook. Bruce Bendinger. The Copy Workshop.
19. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads. Luke Sullivan. Wiley.
This should keep you busy for at least a year.
Enjoy!
Re: Top Banner Help
- Hi
I think I freebie is a good idea say after 10 posts or 30 days.
I know when I joined there was some FREE seo report which I think is a great incentive to new entrepreneurs. If its still available I think that would be work great as a banner?
Also you could promote it on digg, use an attention grabbing headline ' FREE SEO Report' or 'Are you performing?' something like that?
Instead of the same banner on each page you could have a selection of banners rotating
Another suggestion is start a 'entrepreneur directory' and after 10 quality posts - (moderators decision) you can submit yourself with a link to your website?
Just a few thoughts.
Re: Internet Marketing is the best business in the world
- Some of the most effective methods of publicizing your business are FREE!
Ideas for developing my business
- Advertising is the life-blood of any magazine. Get some advertisers and you're set. You've got your target market, now start working on the "buzz" around the mag.
Good Adwords Books?
- I've just purchased "Ultimate Guide to Pay-Per-Click Advertising" by Richard Stokes.
Has anyone read it, and if so what do you think?
Does anyone have any other recommendations for books relating to Adwords?
Thanks,
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