Outside of the box

[J.R.]

I am the king of "outside the box" marketing . . .

What is your passion? Seniors, Health, Life?

Do you have some expendable cash to fund the efforts?

Here is a Co-Op idea. Feet in 'da Street Marketing & Lead Generation.

You, a local Realtor, a local Funeral Home and a local Mortgage Broker work together on a joint venture. Pick an area of town to canvas.

Take a group of 4 lead hawkers - $10 an hour x 2 - 10 hour days would cost you $800 in labor. Print 20k - 4"x6" full color mailers and have them canvas certain areas gathering a simple survey for something. Say - "We're in the neighborhood to see if you received your VIP postcard?" Or - something to that effect.

Be sure there is an insurance question, a funeral home question, a real estate question and a mortgage question on the mailer piece. Printing will run you about $750 with design. Pay a company $450 to manage it for you (hint hint). Total involved = $2,000.

Now - a 3% return would gain you about 600 hot leads. Use the Insurance ones for your team and sell the others to respective businesses - realtors, funeral homes, mortgage companies, etc to recoup your $2,000 - sell them for $2 a piece - they have to buy them all. Have it setup before you start and get a $250 deposit from each one. On 600 leads - you would create $2600 in Co-Op money - so, your leads are free.

Also - be sure to work the leads first. Give the Co-Op partners the leads 3 or 4 days after creation to give yourself time to contact them.

You can also set up a grill at an intersection, have a full color banner with your logo and cook up some BBQ Chicken samples - or whatever. Get lots of smoke, lots of smell, balloons, music, etc - create excitement - use simple surveys and off you go.

You can also use Text Messaging to gain leads.

Just get outside the box. I know we will . . .

Good luck,

Tom

Where can you obtain 20K postcards for that price and how is that manageable? I like the idea, I just think the numbers are a bit off as it would be a logistical nightmare tracking 20K postcards put up by 4 teenagers. Not to mention local issues with the law. I would need to see the postcard to see it's design and layout because I can guarantee you that the number listed better be a separate business number or else you open yourself to a lot of angry calls.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

I've spent my entire adult life with thinking about getting inside the box.

Hehehehehehe...me too!

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

The cookout idea was pitched to me at a chamber event. A financial planner lives in a community with a community center and booked it out for $150 for the day. Then he had a full-blown cookout - the works.

He didn't tell me what the entire cost was but about 200 people showed up. I've have to do what the math on burgers, dogs, ribs, slaw, etc...for 200 people - probably not as expensive as I might think.

He advertised it in the community bulletin and had his table set up there where people could get info and schedule a meeting.

On a much larger scale Chick-fil-A sponsored a kids day and held it at one of our community parks last summer. They had 6 bounce gyms, food, and games. It was a mob scene - thousands of people - they advertised it all over our area.

Even if that was 10K you'd have to wonder much must business you'd end up writing off an event like that.

 

[myinsurebiz]

" Where can you obtain 20K postcards for that price and how is that manageable? "

We do 20k 4"x6" postcards for $750 with design or $700 without . . .

5k Business Cards for only $149 or 20k for $400 . . .

All printing is full color - double sided - 12pt card stock - UV coated . . .

" I like the idea, I just think the numbers are a bit off as it would be a logistical nightmare tracking 20K postcards put up by 4 teenagers. "

Not teenagers in most instances. No tracking. They go door to door in your assigned area and also leave 10 or 15 in like laundromats, C-stores, etc. 4 hawkers would distribute about 2,500 each with the rest going to bulk.

" I would need to see the postcard to see it's design and layout because I can guarantee you that the number listed better be a separate business number or else you open yourself to a lot of angry calls. "

You design the card yourself - we just print it and can distribute it.

You can get a toll-free virtual office with unlimited free incoming calls for $50 a month. Live connect or Forwarded calls are only .10 cents a minute.

Yes - John - free food is a no brainer on gathering people together. BBQ Chicken is cheap. Have a hot dogs as well. Potato Salad and Baked Beans are inexpensive as well. Balloons a must for the kids. Do a drawing for a 3 day vacation or getaway - you can get certs for cheap . . . The key is to have several people to do nothing but sell. Those cooking and serving shouldn't be selling. Use signs to advertise the event the week before. Also put up posters around the area as well. I would also get some door hangers and canvas the area the week before. 5k full color doorhangers only $500 - or just use post cards . . .

Average cost of $3 per plate with all necessary supplies.

The key is to create massive action.

Tom

 

[arnguy]

I've spent my entire adult life with thinking about getting inside the box.

Me, too!