Home and Living type mags - any good to have ads in?

A sales rep for one of those Home and Living type mags called me today...we talked for a while about running an ad. The mag is published six times a year... but I'm just looking at two issues for now. Sept and Nov.

Basically, I would get 1/2 page ad an 1/2 page editorial on my business and tinting.

I think she said something like 120k customers get the mag... all upper class homes.

Currently, I would be the only tint shop in the mag.


The price isn't too bad... but 1) I don't tend to spend much in advertising this late in the season and 2) if I didn't get any jobs from it, it would really hurt spending the cash. Especially in light of the fact my nite job is ending in 30 days.


Has anyone had ads in these types of mags? Any leads and or jobs from it?

If it were spring, I'd probably do it without a question... I'm just really not sure if I want to spend the money now.

Of course, if I say no and miss the deadline, I'll get a call for a huge home or something like that but it will be too late.

I've never done it, and I also understand about if it doesn't lead to any leads, but the old addage is "Ya gotta spend money to make money"

I know... I just hate to do it and be out the $$ with no leads from it. Ugh.

Those magazines are hit or miss.

We've done it and didn't really have any success at it, although we should have Home builders association mag is a good one though.

I just closed a 3k deal on a Home Resource Book... Publishes quarterly and it was out for about 2 weeks when I got it.

I also used another pricey one but never got much response... Just 3600 per year in deductions lol

I called another local shop that runs an ad in one in a different area then I would be in... and he said it seems to be doing ok for him.

I think I'm going to pass.. at least until the spring.

I just really don't have the extra money right now... and if I don't get any return, I know it's going to hurt not having that money.

Ask your film supplier about co-op.

My policy has always been if you dont have money to lose dont spend it. The problem with one man show guys like us Roach, is that we don't put 100% into our business like we want to because we dont entirely rely on tinting to pay all the bills. I mean someday I hope to be just tinting, but for now I have my nursing job to fall back on. I wish I had the resources (ballz) to go all out and give it 100% but I don't want that pressure. I am happy at the moment with my 1-3 jobs per week. So like you I don't go crazy with the expensive advertising. My webpage, doorhangers, and word of mouth are doing just fine for me. Now that I have had a pretty good summer this year and put some money away, I may do some more expensive advertising early next year to make next summer even more profitable. Also try and put at the minimum, half of your profits from each job into the bank and then put it back into the business the following year before April 15th so the tax man doesnt rape yah!

If it's a nice magazine that would be a great marketing tool when you are doing estimates in the home.

Have the magazine w/ your ad in it w/ you as you do the estimate & while you are educating them just mention "Maybe you saw my ad in ________ magazine this month "

If done right it will put you far ahead of your competition..

Why?

Why promote the product line instead of yourself?

If the manufacturer wants to advertise, let them. It is not our responsibility to promote their products

Not only what Tinit said, but do you REALLY understand Co-op? You get a % of your annual film sales (generally 3-5 %) back in film credit. So far this year, at 3%, I MIGHT make a car payment with what I'd get.
HOWEVER, on the other hand, If you don't put thier logo in your ads, you get NOTHING. But depending on how much you spend on advertising, it could add up to a roll or 2 of film at the end of the year. I know that the Film I use doesn't require that thier logo dominate the ad, its just gotta be there

Since I've been pretty much thinking of nothing else due to recent events, I think this will force me to put 110% into it right now.... sans money. Anything else I have to go all out... which hopefully will, in turn afford me more clients, more money for ads, etc.

I should have just quit the nite work back in the spring. I think knowing in the back of my mind that I had it to fall back on really didn't help me as far as pushing the tinting.

But I agree with your thinking with the $$... and right now, I don't have it to lose. If I can get something going in the next few days, I might call her back and see if it's too late, otherwise it will have to wait until spring.

As for advertising brand vs my company... I was actually going to use one of their pre-made ads, since they are already made and ready to go. But, now that I have the time to design my own, I'll probably just do that... cause I'd rather promote my company rather then a brand.

Thanks everyone!


-R

Another thought on where to advertise is alot of gated communities or high end community areas actually have a community magazine that show upcoming events and contractors in the magazine and they are very good places to have an ad in, maybe better than the phone book cause many ppl never think of filming the windows in their home, most think it's just for cars but everyone looks at those magazines and then they see your ad and the rest is history....

I looked into that... Got rates and a sample "issue". I called a couple people who had ads, but they said they weren't getting great results.

BUT, the people I called were like home repair type places.. and after talking with them it dawned on me that these homes are brand new... (at least for the area I was thinking about) that being the case they probably don't have a large demand for repairs.


Good suggestion though!