Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

I don't think you're going to have an easy time finding legitimate, permission-based e-mail addresses for your market, and I can't endorse the concept of harvesting these e-mail addresses from the Web.

(And just for grins, can you tell me how "bars" tie into motorcycling?)

I also don't think you're going to have too much success with direct-mail. When you add up the cost of the list, the package, the postage, etc., it's a huge undertaking. Moreover, you're probably still going to have to call these people and follow up. I don't think people buy advertising by receiving something in the mail and then calling a rep.

To me, advertising space is not "bought," it's "sold." There's a HUGE difference between the two!

Even if you do direct-mail, you're still going to have to pick up the phone and "smile-n-dial." I'd save my money on printing and postage and just start working that phone like a madman.

Cold-calling is brutal, but I think it's how this job's going to get done.

My $0.02.

Paul

Congratulations mto... You realise you are between a rock and a hard place and you need to step outside the paradigm to make things different.

I think you need to enlarge your view of the world. This is about so much more than the mechanism you use to reach prospective advertisers...

Take a good hard look at your readership and figure what your readers offer to advertisers. For example, I understand loads of middle-aged execs (=high disposable income) are buying bikes to taste again (or for the first time) the freedom of the road.

Why limit yourself then to motorcycle stores, bars, insurance co etc? Think about what else those people buy... (Just about anything - make a comprehensive list and name the best quality product in each category). Then figure what it's worth to an advertiser to surprise readers when their guard is down with an ad, say, for a wristwatch, sporting goods or luxury auto/vacation/resort/club, or financial services, investment properties, etc...

机会是you'll have more luck with selling full page colour ads to higher value brands, better than selling quarter and less sized mono ads for spare parts sellers, biker bars and crash repairers.

First step - look at what you know about your readership. That's the springboard to securing the better quality advertisers.

Then make the advertisers a package deal with multiple appearances to save having to re-sell the page each edition.

And when selling, start with your biggest advertising package first, then show some options until you get to a point they can afford, letting them compare the "coach class" package against the bells and whistles of the "first class" package (there's a great article here//www.369da.com/4/dsouza36.aspabout that)

Good luck.

ChrisB