| Author |
Message |
SherisEdibleDesigns
Regular Member
Joined: Sep 03, 2005
Posts: 158
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
|
 Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:18 pm |
  |
Hi, we all know we have to stretch our money. Where are you getting the most bang for your advertising buck?? Do you advertise on internet sites like 'The Knot' or do you go for more local stuff? Do you do newspaper ads? Mailings?? You get the idea. Chime in with your results.
Tnx |
|
|
    |
 |
|
|
|
elizw
Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 08, 2007
Posts: 502
Location: Cary, NC
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:22 pm |
|
i'm word of mouth. 95% of business comes from referrals.
whenever i donate a cake for a charity event or an auction, i always get business from that! i leave my cards with the cake and the orders come in. |
|
|
  |
|
|
elizw
Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 08, 2007
Posts: 502
Location: Cary, NC
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:22 pm |
|
i'm word of mouth. 95% of business comes from referrals.
whenever i donate a cake for a charity event or an auction, i always get business from that! i leave my cards with the cake and the orders come in. |
|
|
|
|
|
absolutecakes
Regular Member
Joined: Jul 20, 2006
Posts: 129
Location: Calgary
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:25 pm |
|
I have an add in our local yellow pages and on their yellowpages website. I get calls everyday for cakes or inquiries.
So far it has paid for itself and the book was just delivered earlier this month.
I also had a booth at the Bridal Expo and I have another one in January. I booked 25 weddings for next year between my add and the show.
HTH
Katie |
|
|
|
|
|
MichelleM77
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 06, 2005
Posts: 2998
Location: near Akron, Ohio
Birthday: Jun 01
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:30 pm |
|
Any money I have spent advertising has not paid off. I haven't gotten a single customer from any paid advertising. Not a single one. All of my customers have come to me via internet searches. Make sure your word tags (can't remember what they are called) are good and you will come up at the top of most searches.  |
|
|
|
|
|
kakeladi
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: May 26, 2004
Posts: 3224
Location: traveling the U.S. in my R.V.
Birthday: Nov 08
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:32 pm |
|
The only place my advertising $$$$$ paid off was for Bridal Shows.
And the same as MichelleM77 - from the internet (not paid advertising). |
|
|
|
|
|
indydebi
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 15102
Location: Indianapolis IN
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:38 pm |
|
The only ads I pay for are The Knot and Respond.com.
Over time, I've (somehow) ended up on a number of free listings on various wedding sites. Lots of word of mouth, including wedding planners and venues/reception sites.
I have a Referral Credit system that also works very well for me ... it turns all of my clients into walking salemen for me. |
|
|
 |
|
|
jibbies
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jun 06, 2007
Posts: 1124
Location: Macon, Georgia
Birthday: Nov 06
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:47 pm |
|
All of my business comes from word of mouth.
jibbies |
|
|
|
|
|
soccermom17
Frequent Member
Joined: Nov 04, 2006
Posts: 293
Location: New Hartford, Iowa
Birthday: Aug 02
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:00 pm |
|
It started with word of mouth. Then donations. Now wedding shows. And I'm thinking of taking out a business card size ad in our iowabridalplanner. I did one ad in a small town paper and no calls. An article in the newspaper, Waterloo Courier, in August, and I'm still getting some calls. They also put the article in their quarterly weddings publication. (free) So check into having an article done. FREE FREE |
|
|
|
|
|
Cakery
Regular Member
Joined: Dec 17, 2006
Posts: 146
Location: Missouri
|
| Posted:
Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:05 am |
|
Allot of mine has been word of mouth over the years.....but I do have a small ad in the YELLOW BOOK.....and it has paid big time for me. I have a deal where my main ad is under the WEDDING SECTION, since that pays the most money. Then for free....I have just a listing under the bakery listing. I'm in a medium sized town.....and I get tons of calls and orders from my ad. I have gotten to the point that I can't advertise much at all.....I am turning down the orders at times. Newspaper and or radio ads are a waste of time for my $$$. Doing a Bridal show now and then can be a good thing.....but once you have your reputation and customer base going.....it's mostly word of mouth.
Good Luck! |
|
|
|
|
|
Kiddiekakes
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2004
Posts: 3626
Location: Calgary,Alberta,Canada
|
| Posted:
Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:11 am |
|
99% of mine is word of mouth also...Everytime I send a kids birthday cake out I always attach 3-4 business cards on the inside of the box. |
|
|
|
|
|
PGray315
Regular Member
Joined: Jun 27, 2006
Posts: 143
Location: Maine
Gallery Supporter Member
|
| Posted:
Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:50 am |
|
|
|
|
|
CoutureCake
Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: 770
Location: Minnesota
|
| Posted:
Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:49 pm |
|
I have to agree, the ad in the phone book is the ONLY ad besides my website that has paid for itself. It just sucks to spend the money and not have a good ROI... OTOH, research shows that qualified customers need to see your name at least 7 times from different sources before they'll buy..
I've done a bridal show that yielded me one call from a bride that had already called me and I told her to come to the show... Otherwise, the only thing bridal shows do is get you known by other vendors who actually are more valuable referrals anyways.
Word of mouth is by far the best advertising anyone can do. Unfortunately, there's only one way to get it. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
)
