Taking a chance on advertising

[Morticia]

I'm looking at a couple of one time ads online that reach approximately 600,000 reasonably well-educated individuals worldwide per day. Not necessarily in the market for lodging at the time of the ad, tho.
The reason I'm thinking about this is because the marketing seminar I went to said to take a chance on something you have never tried before to see what it gets you.
In this case I would have to have a really compelling tag line of less than 10 words to pull them in and make them click.
Just mulling this over.

 

[EmptyNest]

So how much will it cost you? If not that much, I'd try it at least once and see what results you get. Sometimes you just have to "take the chance"

 

[gillumhouse]

I am currently running a small classified in a newsprint magazine that goes to government offices (HR Dept puts it in the employee info area - that is where I first saw it when doing a temp job for a government contractor in Fairmont). I am running it 4 times to see what happens. 2 down and 2 to go. May do it again this summer to see what happens - in case this was the wrong time to do it. The thing is - if you do not try it, you will never know. I am planning to try a couple different directories in Feb when I disconnect from bandb. (I just checked bandb prices - 29.95 per month comes to $359.40 per year. I can do two other try 'em directories for that. And will still have iloveinns and bbonline working for me.)
I have tried several different newspapers for ads in "special editions" and have discovered that my initial assessment was correct - newspaper ads are birdcage material - period! Online? Go for it! (if it is reasonable in price - but remember, it is only money)

 

[Morticia]

So how much will it cost you? If not that much, I'd try it at least once and see what results you get. Sometimes you just have to "take the chance".

It's pricey, which is why I'm mulling it over. I could only do this once or twice if I got no response from it immediately. BUT, it's no more than being inn of the month on bandb, which has gotten me nothing.

 

[swirt]

Where would the ads appear? Remember, overall people are pretty blind to ads....and the more off target the ads are the more blind people are to them. Sites with really good content tend to have lower click trough on ads than sites with really bad content.

 

[Morticia]

Where would the ads appear? Remember, overall people are pretty blind to ads....and the more off target the ads are the more blind people are to them. Sites with really good content tend to have lower click trough on ads than sites with really bad content..

Not a website...it's a targeted email (opt in only, so everyone receiving the email has asked to receive it). Personally, I skip the ads in the email because they're rarely about anything I'm interested in. They've never (in the 6+ years I have gotten this emailing) had a lodging property on there. So, it would be a total departure from the norm.
Which is why I classified it in my head as a 'stretch'.
Before I do it, I am going to contact the other folks who have ads and see how they do. Given that some of them are weekly 'sponsors' of the email, it must be working for some of them.
The other thing is that those who have signed up read the email so it's not like it's going to be emailed to 600,000 people and half of them toss it. I read it every day and the summary email that comes in on the weekend as well.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Bree,
I only accept those type of emails in text, so how many would be seeing the ads I wonder? Like a couple state tourism emails I click to the website to see the full info with photos and graphics. Only because I am invovled in tourism industry, so I click to see what is going on. If it is big bucks and people have the ads blocked? I am probably way off, without seeing it to see what it is exactly. Anyway, just a couple thoughts.

 

[Morticia]

Bree,
I only accept those type of emails in text, so how many would be seeing the ads I wonder? Like a couple state tourism emails I click to the website to see the full info with photos and graphics. Only because I am invovled in tourism industry, so I click to see what is going on. If it is big bucks and people have the ads blocked? I am probably way off, without seeing it to see what it is exactly. Anyway, just a couple thoughts..

The ads are all text with a link to the website in question. They recently reformatted the email so parts of it are graphic (and tons of people complained immediately!) but not the ads. Strictly old school on the ads...so no pix, just text, which is why the text has to really grab them!
Secondary reason for doing this at least once...the entire project this guy has undertaken, he has done on his own dime. I have profited personally from his daily emails and this would be a way of thanking him for what he has done.

 

[gillumhouse]

Bree,
I only accept those type of emails in text, so how many would be seeing the ads I wonder? Like a couple state tourism emails I click to the website to see the full info with photos and graphics. Only because I am invovled in tourism industry, so I click to see what is going on. If it is big bucks and people have the ads blocked? I am probably way off, without seeing it to see what it is exactly. Anyway, just a couple thoughts..

The ads are all text with a link to the website in question. They recently reformatted the email so parts of it are graphic (and tons of people complained immediately!) but not the ads. Strictly old school on the ads...so no pix, just text, which is why the text has to really grab them!
Secondary reason for doing this at least once...the entire project this guy has undertaken, he has done on his own dime. I have profited personally from his daily emails and this would be a way of thanking him for what he has done.
.

Secondary reason for doing this at least once...the entire project this guy has undertaken, he has done on his own dime. I have profited personally from his daily emails and this would be a way of thanking him for what he has done.
Now you have given an excellent reason for trying it at least once. This is how I operate anyway. You feel you HAVE gained personally. Nothing wrong with a thank you that has a possibility of gaining more. I am a believer in the maxim - nothing ventuired, nothing gained.

 

[Penelope]

It seems to me that beyond anything else, your secondary reason is more important to you than your first. I like your second reason better, by the way. "What you put into the lives of others, come back into your own." ~ Oprah (I think)

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Bree,
I only accept those type of emails in text, so how many would be seeing the ads I wonder? Like a couple state tourism emails I click to the website to see the full info with photos and graphics. Only because I am invovled in tourism industry, so I click to see what is going on. If it is big bucks and people have the ads blocked? I am probably way off, without seeing it to see what it is exactly. Anyway, just a couple thoughts..

The ads are all text with a link to the website in question. They recently reformatted the email so parts of it are graphic (and tons of people complained immediately!) but not the ads. Strictly old school on the ads...so no pix, just text, which is why the text has to really grab them!
Secondary reason for doing this at least once...the entire project this guy has undertaken, he has done on his own dime. I have profited personally from his daily emails and this would be a way of thanking him for what he has done.
.

Secondary reason for doing this at least once...the entire project this guy has undertaken, he has done on his own dime. I have profited personally from his daily emails and this would be a way of thanking him for what he has done.
Now you have given an excellent reason for trying it at least once. This is how I operate anyway. You feel you HAVE gained personally. Nothing wrong with a thank you that has a possibility of gaining more. I am a believer in the maxim - nothing ventuired, nothing gained.
.

Secondary reason for doing this at least once...the entire project this guy has undertaken, he has done on his own dime. I have profited personally from his daily emails and this would be a way of thanking him for what he has done.
Now you have given an excellent reason for trying it at least once. This is how I operate anyway. You feel you HAVE gained personally. Nothing wrong with a thank you that has a possibility of gaining more. I am a believer in the maxim - nothing ventuired, nothing gained.

My different thinking 100% --
That is a reason I would NOT do it. I would feel expected to do it again, and not just do it, tell them it didn't work, if there is a personal connection it makes it more difficult. In this business, I like to keep business business, that is why I have to be so careful in any volunteering or involvement, you all know how it is - small town politics. When I first bought this B&B I was being swayed by much of that and simply will not go there, ever.
It is like the home parties thing, don't even invite me, I will send you $50 NOT to be invited. Just so you can get more "junk" you invite everyone you know. Rampant sidetracking...sorry. To me it is the same thing, I liek things straight, simple, what you see is what you get. Join a directory or ad campaign because it is best for your business. Easier for me to say without a gaggle of B&B's nearby.