thorne Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I'm working on getting my company going and I really want to get it out in front of more people. I already know I've got more features and WAY better pricing to my closest competitor. But I'm not sure how to get it front of the target audience. You can have the best product in the world and if no one sees it you won't take off. So this is for the guys who run business on here. how do you get your name out there? Do you do newspapers? I am 100% sure I can't afford to do tv ads. I worry that news paper ads won't be noticed. Thanks for the feedback in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 T.V. is not bad, some radio ads can be worked out in trade. My fathers company had zero to put into ads and between donating service and some help from suppliers they were able to get a t.v. and radio spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverMaker Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Is this for the photo stuff? People that need help with that are probably a bit older. Older people read newspapers. The last newspaper/web campaign our company ran was highly successful because the deal that was offered was good... which seems to be the direction you are in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Did you use google ad words for you online compaign ? My target audience is business owners though I have a home product. Radio spots I've not thought about that much. I'm curious the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Did you use google ad words for you online compaign ? My target audience is business owners though I have a home product. Radio spots I've not thought about that much. I'm curious the cost. An ad in Business First may do you some good then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I've heard cable TV isn't that bad but I can't say for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ODoyle Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 The side of a COTA bus :nod: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KillJoy Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Trade Show :thumbup: KillJoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aesthetic_Influx Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Viral Marketing (sometimes referred to as Guerrilla Marketing) tactics work well for many small businesses, especially when budget concerns are at the forefront of your mind. Although I don't know the specifics of your business or your target audience, I'd think this route could be a worthy option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Does anyone happen to have a contact at a Ad company? BTW if you interested in the product click my linky. Cota busses dont sound bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOS50 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Are you a member of your area Chamber Of Commerce?Plenty of business owners there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragknee66 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I would honestly rework your website before you make it more public. And the name too... When I see "quality" I think $$$$$ You should change it to "Affordable" if youre going to undercut others like you say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewhop Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Put your best dress attire on and make up some business cards and drop them off. Put in the leg work. If you want some strats for talking to people door to door give me a call I can give you some hints. Word of mouth and setting up a list of contacts is going to be your best bet. I know personally I wont do any business security wise with anyone until I know who they are and have first hand experience with someone who has delt with them. So your best bet is going to be start up some business relationships and see where that takes you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragknee66 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Physical Security for a Digital Age doesnt sit well with me either... Im thinking for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewhop Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Physical Security for a Digital Age doesnt sit well with me either... Im thinking for you +1 Getting rid of the Physical part and just going with "Security for a Digital Age" sounds better but still does not sound great to me. I got to look at the product a while back when you showed me and I was impressed. I have seen very few setups anywhere with the kind of quality you had and the quality at that price point. I think with a bit more refinement (from people with more experience in this area) and you would have a very marketable product. I have a few contacts at a newspaper or two that I could get in touch with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragknee66 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Craigslist free ad ^ win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ODoyle Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I would also look into billboards and widely circulated free papers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tbutera2112 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 "security for a digital age" makes me think youre trying to sell comoputer firewalls and shit.... you should rework that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 "security for a digital age" makes me think youre trying to sell comoputer firewalls and shit.... you should rework that almost what im thinking physical security for a digital age make me think you are selling security guard services should be more like digital sercurity for a digital age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Interesting, got something that doesn't require an internet connection? I would make up flyers, read the community papers and look for break-ins. Prey on the scared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPLN SUX Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Thorn, get in touch with my sister for website design... http://www.boscstudio.com This is what she does for a living... and shes pretty damn good. And if you want to get the name out to businesses... PIZZA DELIVERY Do you have any idea how many coupon toppers go out the door of a good pizza delivery shop? My old store did about 3000/wk. Not only do people go to homes, but to TONS of businesses. Im sure if you set up a simple system for a store, they'd do your fliers for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Yellow pages ad for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I'm working on getting my company going and I really want to get it out in front of more people. I already know I've got more features and WAY better pricing to my closest competitor. But I'm not sure how to get it front of the target audience. You can have the best product in the world and if no one sees it you won't take off. So this is for the guys who run business on here. how do you get your name out there? Do you do newspapers? I am 100% sure I can't afford to do tv ads. I worry that news paper ads won't be noticed. Opinion....start small and don't go too far into debt at first. It's easy to spend; much harder to earn. I believe the key to being successful involves several things outside just hitting the masses. My wife started her law practice with less than $10k total first year + rent/utilities. Networking is and will always be key. Many small businesses hardly need to advertise. Case Study and Referrals: Even if you hit the masses and companies begin coming to you, they will likely ask to talk with references. Even if they don't said references will do wonders for your credibility and respect in the market. People buy from those they like, but first they look to see that you are reputable and can be trusted. Especially in today's climate. Seed the market with some key installs, perhaps businesses found from contacts right here? Then use them as case studies and references. Cover those bases and you're golden. Target a market: I see real success with Small businesses when they focus on a target market, understand the space and client needs and play to that better than anyone. Again, hold off on the masses until you can build some case sites and references. For now, my advice is to start small and work from referrals. Who knows someone that would take a few minutes to talk with you and then set up a meeting. I've worked with tons and tons of start ups to SMB resellers and work for a relatively small (65 person) company now and would be happy to share more on how they have done what they have. Many of them started as 1-2 guys, a good idea and then have grown into huge businesses. I love thinking about that in hopes that someday that will be me ROI: Don't lean on price or features without the benefits. Think ROI. Why your solution is what they need to prioritize spending towards. Capital spends today are limited. Especially where there's no plan or budget. More so in the SMB market. Think through how you are different and think of it in hard dollar savings. Present a solid ROI to go with you. Don't ever mention the competition...ever...let the client bring them up if they do. Your job will be to understand the customers business and pain points. I'm a firm believer in a solution sale and having a business process when talking to clients about how to handle their pain. The Methodology I use is a 7 step process: 1. Understand their problem: Define it with them as often they won't know. 2. Identify goals and requirements: How will the system be measured for success and what requirements do they have 3. Map their current practices: What are they doing today. Not what they "think" they are doing, but what actually happens 4. Design a solution together: Has to be a two way street with their involvement to avoid surprises 5. Calculate ROI: Bottom line, using their figures, what will this cost them, where's the break even and what will the long term gain be. 6. Document and present your findings to key decision makers. All heads have to nod or it's not likely going to sell. 7. Begin the Technical Design: What exactly is needed to make the solution work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I would honestly rework your website before you make it more public. And the name too... When I see "quality" I think $$$$$ You should change it to "Affordable" if youre going to undercut others like you say. Thanks for the feedback. But the product I'm offering costs about 1/4 of the price of say a honeywell with similar capabilities. Maybe I should come out and just post the pricing for the base system. I'm not sure. We've been really really busy preparing for a demo for the police to use in cruisers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 almost what im thinking physical security for a digital age make me think you are selling security guard services should be more like digital sercurity for a digital age If they look at the pictures and can't figure out its cameras..... This is not to tear into my naming system. The website was forced online early. I really like the tag and the feedback on it out of a huge list of various things was pretty much hands down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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