Touchlocal? Best way to advertise?

[Connor Williams]

Hello guys,

I put a plumbing advert in my local paper and a company called Touchlocal called me desperate to arrange a meeting and tell me how they could promote my plumbing business online.

I met them and the package for the year worked out at £733 inv VAT, which workes out at about £12 per week.

I was interested until they insisted I had to sign up there and then, otherwise I couldn't join up, I wanted the evening to think it over and weigh up the costs but they insisted a decision had to be made and deposit put down.

I declined as this in your face, sign up and give cash now seemed desperate and dodgy.

Anyone worked with 'Touchlocal' or know anything about them?

All the best,
Connor

 

[tamz]

Never sign up for anything without thinking about it and never believe the hype from any advertisement mob. They are all stuggling too and the salesman is probably on a small basic + commision or possibly commision only, no sale = no wages.
Have a read through some of this
[DLMURL="http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28653"]Touch local- anyone used? - UK Business Forums[/DLMURL]

There are better ways to spend £733, like
[DLMURL="http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/tenerife/holidays-tenerife.html"]Thomson Holidays - Holidays in Tenerife[/DLMURL]

 

[Blake]

I have to agree with tamz. I did advertise with them, I only paid a couple of hundred though and that did not produce any great return. Just get a free listing with them and then go on holiday with what you have saved.

 

[justlead1]

Hi. A guy put a post up on here the other day. Saying he had camped up out side one of the national DIY stores on a Saturday Canvassing people and giving them cards / flyers. Sounds like a great way to promote your self.

 

[plumb-tech]

i went with them paid £350 not 1 job out of them

 

[Guest123]

£733 will get you a hell of a lot of advertising! Don't spend all your cash on just one medium, use several until you get the one that works.

Here's mine and costs that I've settled with and get good results:

5,000 x A5 leaflets printed full colour on gloss paper = £99
I get a guy to put out 1,000 out a week and always get bathroom work. Takes about 4 hours and 5,000 lasts 5 weeks. The guy takes £25 to put them out. Make sure they're professional looking though and the person who puts them out is trustworthy and doesn't dump them.

Single colour newspaper ad in local press = £32 per week
I get everything from an outside tap to a lead dormir from this cheap advert.

I'm doing a radio ad nearer to Christmas as this is the time I get least work. Expensive (about 3 grand) but done right and advertising the right product produces excellent results. For example get a good supply of towel radiators at this time and advertise a supply and fit. There's no point in advertising outside taps in December! Don't just advertise as "Joe Bloggs" Plumbers, get a product that people are interested in at a particular time of year, if you do a good job, general plumbing work will follow.

Or stand outside B&Q with your leaflets as we did and get your own back.....

 

[Connor Williams]

Thanks guys for all you your help and advice, lots of facts to consider! Greatly appreciated.

All the best,
Connor

 

[Centralheatking]

I always think that a local landline number is vital to give the potential customers a handle on where you live/operate from.

Mobile nos are fine as well. Here in Lancs customers know the area from the 1st 2/3 numbers after the area code and like to keep things local.

Centralheatking

 

[Guest123]

And you can get a freephone 0800 number which can be transferred to your mobile. Although you pay for the call (about 3p) your customers are more likely to call you on a freephone number.
Put an address on all your leaflets, a landline and mobile. I had a printing company for 15 years as well as my plumbing so I have lots of experience in marketing this.

 

[PlumbersMate]

System3 you say you get alot of bathroom work from leaflets so is that what you have on them? That you specialise in bathrooms? Obviously prob not best avenue to go down but I'm thinking perhaps spring time. Who the he'll delivers them for you fr £25?!!! That's superb!

 

[WaterTight]

i deliver my own, download audiobooks to listen and go off on a trek. it's good for the soul. paying yourself to excericse - what could be better? the first hour i usually think i find i prefer it to plumbing. the second hour i'm less sure and would prob rather change a kitchen tap. if i get as far as the third hour i'd rather be unblocking drains.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i'm the same put my ipod on and start walking

 

[Barry98]

733 , BNI for 12 months

 

[PlumbersMate]

Steve Or watertight would you mind emailing me an example of the leaflets you use please? Thinking of getting some but don't know wether to aim them at a particular service like rads as it's winter time or to just put company name and number and that's it ????

 

[PlumbBobBob]

not at all pm me your email and i'll send over what i have

 

[armyash]

good tips on this thread!

 

[Hardy1]

i've had about 3 phone calls from these kind of companies and i know how they come on to you they dont let you talk just give you numbers number numbers and want a decision there and then, i think it is dodgy as the guy was giving me discounts every 20 seconds orite ill do it for £190, orite ill do it for £150, orite ill do it for £110, orite ill do i for £90 final offer(the geeza wouldnt stop) and then when i went na mate not interested sorry you could tell on his face he was shocked like( you just wasted my time), makes you wonder how people can afford to lose £100 from the price they started(definetely something going on there DODGY), o and then i put the phone down on him hahahaha.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

when those type of people phone me i ask them if they are trying to get money out of me usually by the third time of asking they just hang up!

 

[Guest123]

I've got a local guy that delivers them along with another 2 maximum leaflets from other firms. So in effect he's getting my £25 and a combined £50 from the other firms. My leaflets are mainly bathrooms, but not just advertising what I do, but full colour photos of bathrooms that I'm promoting at that time. It's important to have promotions that have appeal at a particular time of year, not just say "I'm a plumber and I do plumbing".
Best of luck PlumbersMate when you do your first leaflet drop. If it's Spring, March is best as people's minds start to think about home improvements for the Summer ahead after the long dreary Winter months. Nearer the time, if you get stuck, email me and I'll give you help with this. Unfortunately I'm so busy that I just can't devote any more time to designing leaflets, logos etc, but if this changes, I'll be happy to help forum members who ask me next year.

 

[PlumbersMate]

Thanks system. The one you made me last summer was excellent, going to throw out 5000 of them around may time I think. Glad to hear you are busy

 

[Guest123]

Thanks system. The one you made me last summer was excellent, going to throw out 5000 of them around may time I think. Glad to hear you are busy

You're most welcome and I hope that they work as good for you as they did for me. I am very busy but have to work extremely hard to be so.
One big tip I'd give newbies, work hard at building a reputation as this is of paramount importance. It's easier to get a bad reputation than a good one.

 

[sparra1100]

Never sign up for anything without thinking about it and never believe the hype from any advertisement mob. They are all stuggling too and the salesman is probably on a small basic + commision or possibly commision only, no sale = no wages.
Have a read through some of this
[DLMURL="http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28653"]Touch local- anyone used? - UK Business Forums[/DLMURL]

There are better ways to spend £733, like
[DLMURL="http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/tenerife/holidays-tenerife.html"]Thomson Holidays - Holidays in Tenerife[/DLMURL]

quite agree there tamz in the irish bar in los cristianos burny the bloke who owns it a top bloke

 

[sparra1100]

when those type of people phone me i ask them if they are trying to get money out of me usually by the third time of asking they just hang up!

when they ring me i just say the boss isnt in at the moment and they carnt put the fone down quick enough most of them are ignorant i went in key words on yell.com and havnt stopped since