advertising

[jase_rd]

Am just about to go out on my own self employed. Will be carrying out gas and central heating work. I was wondering where the best results can be gained from advertising. Have enquired with yell.com and looked at the prices with checkatrade. Neither are particularly cheap but I suppose as long as customers are gained from the expense is worth it. Didn't want the expense if the rewards aren't worth the cost. I know most work comes by word of mouth but as I am new to my area and will be a new company I obviously need to get word out and let people I exist. Any advise our benefit from your experience would be much appreciated.

 

[Rickster123]

Jase where abouts are you based? I know checkatrade has had mixed reviews on here depending where you're living.

 

[Rckape]

Hi Jase, I've never bothered with yell or any of the online review sites.

As you said the majority of work comes from word of mouth. I find that an advert in the glossy a5 local information booklet is money well spent. Round here it's around £130 for half a page every other month it gets to 17,000 homes.

 

[townfanjon]

Said on here before, I think a leaflet drop on glossy paper , done profesionaly , logo , GS number etc etc works well

 

[Unregistered]

Cheers guys, I'll look into our local rag. Appreciate the feed back. I'll be working in and around dover, Kent.

 

[flat Eric]

Hi Jase_rd, if its local work your after get yourself a facebook page. Free to set up and then join your local facebook group ( look at post code or name of town) to advertise and promote your page.
once this is set up get 500 leaflets printed with the facebook page link on it.
put on your new work gear and hit the high street to give out the leaflets.
Post pics of your work on your page, and do offers to draw in new likes
I gave away a Sure Stop ( fitted of course ) for hitting 100 likes
£25 for the Sure Stop and an hour of my time = 97 new likes and a week of working flat out!!!
good luck

 

[lame plumber]

local advertizing mag costs me around £50 a month to include 2 x front covers a year, I use 2 mags one for each of the local towns, gives me the bulk of my work. Checkatrade gives me access to people moving into the area, mainly those down from London, to whom prices are not an issue so the £800 per year costs get recouped,
My own website was via barter and was for 3 rad installs, must get him to review my pricing policy, now 3 years out of date!!!, but there is a disclaimer. Sign written van pulls in a few folks each year, not many but also means I drive slower and occasionally more considerately WOM brings in a fair bit as well and most of all, repeat customers who had a washer changed, now want a new boiler and because you looked clean and tidy, wore boot covers and look trustworthy get you back to do the work. Remember above all first impressions count and get you the jobs.

Re fliers, I find you end up walking for miles for very little reward... people go online for trades if they are younger now, only the old ones go for traditional advertising

Finally, find a niche market and become an expert in that area, be it renewables, or whatever floats your boat after all there are 1000s of plumbesr and gas technicians so be brilliant in a specialist area to earn the money

 

[flat Eric]

Thats fine when the money is rolling in but to start off this poor sod probably can't afford £2k a year, limited leaflet handed out in person means they get to meet you ( your 1st impression hence look smart) some will ask you questions ( that's the foot in the door) and the facebook page with photos is the new age hook you need.
it's not wasted time as you don't have the work yet and it is very low cost!
You can offer a fiver off if they let you use the photos on the facebook page.