Is it not very narrow minded to stick to online advertising only?
I prefer to be / become an advertising agency that serves serious and sustainable businesses. Not the fast digital startups were 9/10 will not make it.
So, keeping that broad view, I looked into print advertising. I read about it for years. Warran Buffet invests in local newspapers for a reason; the reach and connection with the loyal local readers. Think about what you can do scaling your advertising up to several local editions?
SEA & CRO
Before I explain a bit more, first a warm welcome if you are a business owner from Amstelveen.
Yes, I run this ad first in the local newspaper of Amstelveen, because it is close to Amsterdam and I figured quite some business owners must be living here, perhaps some marketing managers too.
I noticed this little notification area on page 2 of my local newspaper in Houten (‘t Groentje) and only few business are advertising here.
You know what is funny? What I do best for others, does not work for my own business! It became too expensive to advertise on Google Ads offering SEM services. So many Advertsing Agencies are competing against eachother, it is simply not profitable as direct response strategy. Long term and big budget, that may be another story.
Perhaps the Cost Per Aquisition with Google Ads became too high in your field as well. It is possible, but many, many times, there are ways to get excellent results out of it.
There are alternatives as well. Such as Microsoft Ads (formerly Bing Ads), Facebook (not my first choice), or -let’s go wild- print ads.
To make a long story short, I am running my first print ad and it goes like this;
SEA & CRO: Ik maak jouw
Google Ads (veel) beter.mail jeroen@houdyk.com
Just four lines, one of them empty.
SEA & CRO: I make your Google Ads (much) better. mail jeroen@houdyk.com
That is all it says.
Hidden Message
There is a hidden message in this ad. The fact that I am advertising in print media, automatically qualifies me as go to guy if you want to run ads in print media as well. Because I have done it before. At least once!
The effectiveness of such an ad is difficult to estimate. It depends on the kind of business, and I am pretty sure local business or regional and national business with a local service character can benefit from advertsing in local print media.
I will tell you later how the response is, or not. Some may say I am crazy to share such strategy for client acquisition!
But really, this is not a secret at all. Print ads are around since, let me think – do the ten commandments count as an ad from God? – let’s just say as long as man can write.
When I was reading the Gary Halbert letter (well known copywriter) he challenged his readers to publish a print ad, just to experience and feel the power of advertising.
Did you do it?
I run my first fb ad after reading that. I got a crazy respons on my ad offering a job for a local craftsman. I felt the power of advertising, the same way as I felt running my first google ad.
But I did not dare to run a local newspaper ad. Somehow I did not have the right offer lined up, so I kept that pending.
Untill today.
Does it makes sence?
I am calling out to people who are already running Google Ads and are at least familiar with the term SEA. CRO is less well known (Conversion Rate Optimization) but that is on purpose. If someone mistakes it for SEO I will help them too, no worries. But my ideal client reponding to this is already spending (a lot) on google ads, and wants to see better results for his money.
If someone is looking for a set up from scratch I prefer to help with posting some Youtube videos about that (I promise).
So, first line starts with SEM (Search Engine Advertising), second line starts with ‘Google Ads’. I clearly describe my offer, making an existing Google Ads account much better. Not just any. Yours. Important.
White space. Love it. Use it.
Call to action: ‘mail’
Not very strong, but there is no need to be aggresive. This ads stands out because it is one of a kind.
Print Ad with impact when you want it
When you are a business owner or marketing manager who is tired of managing Google Ads and wonder if the results can be better, you may find yourselve scanning the ads of your local newspaper on a relaxed evening, after a hard day work.
Or you may be sitting in a waiting room of your dentist or hair salon.
Yes, you browse your phone nowedays. But when you are an entrepeneur, you look at those ads in the local newspaper. Out of professional interest.
And than your read my ad and decide to send me an email, or – if you are somewhat digitally enabled- no superpowers needed, you have looked at the last part of my e-maildress and knows that is were you can find my website.
Did it go like this?
