Hello Everyone, Our company are launching a large network of websites with many different niches and target audiences. Our main niches are child security online and s a social networking/general chat forum. What are the best ways for us to advertise our company? We are going to have a press release, and were thinking of using facebook advertising, but what else can we do that has good returns? Thanks
If you have an advertising budget, you may want to purchase ad space on popular parenting forums and other popular parenting sites. You could also get some free advertising in these forums and on parenting blogs if you contribute some of your child safety knowledge. (maybe in the form of articles?)
Ok Great idea, we are selling a software for keeping children safe online, which also limits the time children can be online, ensuring they have time for extra curricular activities. We are just not sure how to advertise it so we get good numbers of sales, with the right marketing we could easily be selling 10-20 copies a day. And also, how to advertise our social forum?! Thanks
First of all, a Press Release would be good www.PRWeb.com search for other press release sites on google, it's easy to find paid and free services
For the social networking/forum, try running a contest. You will see a phenomenal ROI if you promote it the correct way, and it can be a great, cheap way to get the word out.
On your forum, and then market that contest on other blogs / forums / through SEO / through social bookmarking like Digg / SU / through social networking like Facebook / Myspace.
Large Company??? Any company would put a fair amount of research into the market long before actually developing a product. And as they developed it, would have already created a buzz...making the official launch go off with a bang. If they missed that opportunity, they're starting off on the wrong leg already, and they won't be a big company for long. BUT--if this were not a large company... A one man show would do FAR better to promote himself instead of creating and promoting a company. People buy from people. People trust people. People engage with people. Let's build on that. With something like a child safety product, there's much more national competition than there is local competition. So just start in your own town. Maybe a seminar...or hook up with a toy store and see if they'll let you run a special workshop there for mothers. In local advertising, the press can be your best friend if used correctly. They'll promote a child safety workshop and they'll do more leg work than you can imagine...as long as you prove to be a good source of information.
Well its not a one man band, we have many ideas of how we are going to market our product, the major problem is we want to target online audiences as well as people offline
Well, seems to me it's a specific niche. You will have a trouble advertising this online. I know it is funny, because this software is meant to be used online... I would start with an off-line marketing. Short-list the most popular parenting magazines. For example, Junior Magazine, Practical Parenting Magazine. Offer to write a paid feature and have a visual ad with your feature - that's the combination that works best! If you are completely confident about your product (you should be if you're starting this), go to http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/communicate/contactus and see if they can help you with a consultation on how to start and if there is demand, etc. Before hiring a marketing company, look at your budget. You should know better if you can afford that. Be aware that all middle-weight marketers will probably do the same (i.e. placing adverts in parenting mags and parenting forums) and top-notch marketers will charge you loads of £££ and still probably do the same LOL. If sending press-releases, go with a paid service. Don't send free press releases - that will result in only 10 or 20 visitors to your site. Where are you from? What is your local/regional newspaper(s)? Write a story, dig up some facts about children's safety and victims (speak to local schools, parents, get some facts). Your local newspaper will love to publish that kind of article because kid's safety is on the agenda now. If you don't do journalism or releases, hire someone to do it for you. It will be around £100 but will make a lot of difference. Can you get a local journalist with a name to do it for you? Remember, it is a story that sells the product. Good luck!
Hi Tankard, Thanks for the great post, I live in Devon, not too far from you. I was thinking about going to my local council and seeing if they wanted to buy the product for all the schools in the local area, which would make us about 1000+ sales in a very short time. We are also having a press release written for online advertisement. I tried emailing my local paper a number of times but never got a response so I might ring them soon and also think about targeting the larger national newspapers
Emails sent to companies like newspapers etc get stuck with the secretary (blonde person sitting by a computer wearing excess make-up) unless you address it to the right person. Prepare an article and send to dep. editor or the topic editor. You may wish to buy a Media Directory 2008 from Amazon. A great book listing all the names and contacts within the industry. Even the major regional papers are listed. It helped me a lot last year when I marketed a product. The idea about the council is a good one. Have you heard about Exeter Chamber of Commerce? You need to speak to someone who is actually a member to learn more. I know some business forums that help local start-ups in Dorset, but don't know much about Devon.
Yes, I live in Exeter so have heard of it. I am going to call my local paper and get an advertising spot and also an article in there paper hopefully. I am also going to start phoning schools directly as this software has 2 functions both of which would really be useful for ICT centers in schools and colleges. Thanks
Jon, I wouldn't bother trying to email your local papers. Use a paid distribution service for your online press release, but use the fax machine and a phone call for your local papers and radio stations. But before doing so, dig as deeply as you can for information. Get all the statistics you can gather so that if someone calls you for an interview, you'll turn out to be a choc-full-of-information. For example, in a survey of parents with kids between 9 and 13, 38% of them had children who have a social networking page (like MySpace). That number might come as a real surprise to journalists and (what's more important) other parents. If you can obtain this kind of information, you're one step ahead of all the other guys trying to market to parents. And if other such statistics aren't out there, then find someone who can get them for you.