5/16/2005
Advice from Nashville's leading Financial Aid Advisor Dave Ramsey
Dave Says
By Dave Ramsey
Author of:
Financial Peace and
The Total Money Makeover
"Ideas for good, inexpensive advertising?"
Dear Dave,
I have just opened a home furnishings discount warehouse business. We sell
knock-off products at low mark-up. They’re true wholesale top-quality items.
However, since it’s a low mark-up, high volume business, there is not a lot of
money for advertising. I received a nice mention in the local paper last week,
which has boosted my business. Now I need to supplement that attention and I’m
being inundated with calls from ad sales people who saw the column. Should I
indulge and buy some expensive ads?
Claudette in Nashville, TN
Dear Claudette,
I think I would avoid indulging in expensive advertisements. You found your
affordable advertising last week – free advertising in the form of public
relations. Your particular business has some very interesting aspects which are
attention-getters. For instance, the article last week that mentioned your
company did so because your pricing is very affordable. Find those aspects about
your business and come up with a story. Then contact local newspapers and
television stations and get them interested in the story. You might find local
cable shows in your area that would like to have you on as a guest discussing
your business from their point of interest. There might be an interior design
column in a newspaper or magazine in one of the surrounding communities. See
about doing an interview with them. Get every interior decorator in town over to
your store to see what you offer.
I also recommend you read a good book called Guerilla Publicity – it is a part
of the Guerilla Marketing series of books – about creating publicity that
doesn’t cost much but requires a huge effort on your part.
The bottom line is find out who is using your product and find out how to
attract them without spending much money.
-Dave
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