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Marketing options

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by matt_62, Oct 5, 2022.

  1. #1
    I've recently launched a real-world service for my local area (tuning pianos), but I feel like I am missing a key ingredient for marketing and im slowly cycling through different marketing options such as goodle ads, newspaper ads, and other while I have someone slowly working on SEO and ranking and I'm pouring over forums for marketing tips.

    For business here (Australia), its common to hand out customized business calendars to business partners (in my case, this would be piano teachers, and piano movers), as well as hand these out to new people as a marketing method. This would cost close to $1k aud, and I expect $0 return.
    Instead of doing that, for close to the same money, another option would be to launch and promote a directory based website, to promote the services of piano teachers and piano movers that I work with. its all within the same industry, so it could be a good thing.

    It means that as my business grows, people interested in learning piano can find a teacher near them benefiting teachers, it also means I can reach out to new teachers and as well as offering close to a 20% discount off services, I can offer them a free listing as a way of introducing myself, (some are paying $250 per year for directory listings here so some may appreciate what I'm offering). I would only need a handful of teachers to use or recommend my services each year to get back that $1k, and its then easy to spend $1k+ yearly on seo for the website.
    If I did this, I would put this on a separate domain name, so it will eventually have separate cpanel account and private IP.

    The downside is the time to mange yet another project, and to manage the spam that comes with directory sites.
    Any advice on if I should do a giveaway vs creating a directory website? or other suggestions for a better ROI?
     
    matt_62, Oct 5, 2022 IP
  2. Amony11

    Amony11 Greenhorn

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    #2
    One way to increase your return on investments is to generate more sales and revenues or raise your prices. If you can increase sales and revenues without increasing your costs, or only increase your costs enough to still provide a net gain in profits, you've improved your return.
     
    Amony11, Oct 5, 2022 IP
  3. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

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    #3
    I like the directory idea. There's still a need for them but on a really niche basis serving a specific community.

    Alternatively is there a way you could create a "listener" for people's pianos to suggest it's x% off key with a booking form for when it warrants a tune up?
     
    sarahk, Oct 6, 2022 IP
    matt_62 likes this.
  4. matt_62

    matt_62 Prominent Member

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    #4
    Im loving your new photo Sarah, (i havent been on much, and I dont think I have seen that photo before.)
     
    matt_62, Oct 6, 2022 IP
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  5. kjh-08

    kjh-08 Well-Known Member

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    #5
    All I used was local seo, google ad's, created a FB business page for an off-line service business. No need to get too creative with calendars, directories, etc when first starting out. Focus on the map pack (local seo) for your service sector if there is one. Customer reviews on your map listing also helps incredibly.
     
    kjh-08, Nov 10, 2022 IP
  6. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #6
    Would it be possible to test both options for $500 each? Put a nice offer with the calendars and a different one for your directory to measure effectiveness of both?
     
    jrbiz, Nov 14, 2022 IP
  7. Ziporal Morris

    Ziporal Morris Banned

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    #7
    There are several marketing strategies available, including influencer, affiliate, PPC, SEM, social media, email, and content marketing. For a successful approach, each provides advantages that need be properly taken into account.
     
    Ziporal Morris, Mar 11, 2023 IP
  8. McAlexis

    McAlexis Greenhorn

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    #8
    It seems like creating a directory website could be a more effective marketing strategy for your tuning piano business in Australia, compared to handing out customized business calendars. A directory website can help increase your exposure, benefit your partners, and potentially generate long-term returns with SEO. While it requires time and effort, it can potentially provide a better ROI than other methods.
    As for managing spam, you can use various tools and plugins to minimize the amount of spam on your website. For example: Google reCAPTCHA is a free service that can be integrated into your website to prevent spam bots from submitting forms and comments. Akismet is a popular spam filtering plugin for WordPress websites.
    CleanTalk is good also. It’s a cloud-based spam protection service that can be integrated into various CMS platforms, including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
    While handing out customized business calendars may be a common practice in Australia, it may not be the most cost-effective strategy for your business. As you mentioned, you expect zero returns from this method. On the other hand, creating a directory website can potentially generate returns by helping you reach out to new customers and partners.
     
    McAlexis, Mar 31, 2023 IP
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  9. jacongeller

    jacongeller Peon

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    #9
    Basecally You can choose from a wide range of advertising channels to spread the word about your company. Digital marketing channels such as social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization complement more traditional channels such as print, direct mail, radio, and television. Choose the best marketing mix for your company based on your resources and objectives. Any other thoughts? Please share them.
     
    jacongeller, Mar 31, 2023 IP
  10. Annaccond

    Annaccond Member

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    #10
    Save yourself the cost and do it the old school way. I've learned over the years that people underestimate the power of "traditional marketing" and that's something that usually works best for local, physical businesses.

    Let me tell you what I would do:
    1. Print small posters and hang them on notice boards or at the entrances (with the owners' permission, of course) of any local music school, music store and any place where they have a piano (theatre, jazz club, maybe even a pub).
    2. Print out flyers and leave them in music stores.
    3. Go through Google, Google Maps, social media and your local business directory to find any piano lessons and piano teachers (within as large area as you would be willing to travel to get the job done). Contact them directly via email, letter, phone and let them know about your service. If they have social media accounts, ask them if they could post your ad (they will do it for free).
    4. Contact schools in your area and inform them about your service.
    5. Ask friends and family to write you some reviews on Google (to position you at the top of Google Maps results).
    6. Think about creating some kind of "Piano Care plan" to offer regular maintenance for professionals.
     
    Annaccond, Apr 7, 2023 IP
  11. JSMark

    JSMark Well-Known Member

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    #11
    It's great that you're exploring different marketing options for your piano tuning service, and considering the pros and cons of each approach. Here are some thoughts on your options:

    1. Customized business calendars: While giving out calendars can be a nice gesture, as you mentioned, it's unlikely to generate a significant return on investment. If you don't expect to see any meaningful business growth from this approach, it might be worth considering an alternative.

    2. Directory website: A directory website could be a good way to promote your services and those of your partners. By creating a platform where potential piano students can find local teachers and movers, you're providing value to both parties. Additionally, by offering a free listing to new teachers as an introductory offer, you may be able to quickly build up a strong directory of local providers. However, as you mentioned, managing a directory website can be time-consuming, and spam can be an issue. You'll need to make sure you have a system in place to vet and manage the listings, to ensure that only legitimate businesses are featured on the site.

    3. Giveaways: Depending on the nature of your business, giveaways can be a powerful tool to generate buzz and attract new customers. However, if you're not offering something that's truly valuable to your target audience, it may not be worth the investment.
    Overall, I think the directory website is an interesting idea that could have a good return on investment if executed well. Just make sure to carefully consider the time and resources required to manage the site, and to develop a plan to prevent spam and ensure the integrity of the listings.
     
    JSMark, Apr 9, 2023 IP
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  12. McAlexis

    McAlexis Greenhorn

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    #12
    Of course! I think it's a great idea to combine traditional marketing methods with digital marketing strategies, especially for local, physical businesses. In that case, it’s possible to make that more effective by additional steps as:
    - Hosting a free workshop or seminar for piano teachers, students or other music enthusiasts. This can be a great way to showcase your expertise and generate buzz for the business.
    - Partner with other local businesses, such as piano stores or music schools, to cross-promote each other's services. You can offer to provide discounts to their customers in exchange for them promoting your business.
    - Create a referral program to encourage satisfied customers to refer their friends and family to your business. Offer a discount or other incentive for each new customer they refer.
     
    McAlexis, Apr 10, 2023 IP
  13. Edna Welburg

    Edna Welburg Greenhorn

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    #13
    Creating a directory website sounds like a great idea to me, along with printing out flyers. Maybe combine these two, for example, create and print a QR code that takes potential customers directly to this website. It's a good solution because they can access your website on spot, from their phones. I think it would be worth time spent on managing the whole project.
     
    Edna Welburg, Apr 11, 2023 IP
  14. sepoint

    sepoint Greenhorn

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    #14
    I think the most effective is contextual advertising, but the budgets for it have gone off scale lately
     
    sepoint, Apr 23, 2023 IP
  15. McAlexis

    McAlexis Greenhorn

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    #15
    In that case, effective advertising should give more margin with bigger budget )
     
    McAlexis, Apr 25, 2023 IP
  16. dney

    dney Greenhorn

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    #16
    What is matter?
     
    dney, May 3, 2023 IP
  17. ChadArmstrong

    ChadArmstrong Peon

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    #17
    It's great to see your dedication to exploring different marketing options for your piano tuning service. Instead of investing in customized business calendars with no expected return, your idea of launching a directory-based website sounds promising. It can benefit both piano teachers and movers, providing a platform for potential students to find teachers near them while also offering a discount and free listings to attract new teachers.
     
    ChadArmstrong, May 18, 2023 IP
  18. Zoe Adam

    Zoe Adam Peon

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    #18
    You may research alternative marketing tactics that might yield a higher return on investment, but I believe social media marketing is the way to go. You can use Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to promote your services on this platform. This social media platform is helpful for connecting with potential customers. One of my friends also had this type of problem, so they hired an SEO service from web designing pro, they are specializing in affordable SEO, SMM, and other marketing tactics.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2023
    Zoe Adam, Jun 6, 2023 IP
  19. Randall Magwood

    Randall Magwood Active Member

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    #19
    You may want to consider getting out of that niche entirely. What prompted you to enter into this niche and start offering this service in the first place? Was there a market demand that you saw? If so, then the marketing part would have been obvious and easy.
     
    Randall Magwood, Jun 30, 2023 IP