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Print Advertising - Step it Up

Virgin Islands Real Estate

We have been advertising in a local real estate book for almost a year and a half now. We usually purchase two full pages and the cover when possible. Unlike many advertisers in our area, we work to pay our bill early or on time to be certain we can pay for it.

Due to the market conditions, this book was unable to publish a new issue after May. We were out $1399. When we tried to get our money back, the person running the publication said "sorry, I don't have the money right now".

For us this is a huge set back because of the volume of traffic we receive. Months have gone by and we still haven't received our money. So I decided to create our own publication. And here is what I found:

www.PSPrint.com offers booklet printing for cheap. Here is what we got:

4,000 books
16 pages
Glossy print
Higher quality than previous book
$1400 w/ shipping to the US Virgin Islands.

I then went out and got three advertisers to pay a total of $1000 and one agent to pay for two pages. The results were a full color booklet advertising all of our services exclusively for the same price as we were paying before.

If you would consider having your own booklet made, contact me. For a small fee I can help set up the book for you, input listings, and give you guidance as to who to contact as potential advertisers for you book.

Nick

Posted by Nick Van Assche on 09/30/2009 09:55 AM

Comments (9)

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9 Comments on Print Advertising - Step it Up

SEP

Nick - that is awesome! I like how you solved that obstacle. ~Rita

We gave up on the printed media about a year ago. When our ads failed to make the phone ring, we stopped advertising.

Rita - Thanks for the feedback!

Sandy - Before I moved down to the Virgin Islands I had all but thought Print Advertising is dead. What I have found is that people still like to have a physical copy of things. One of the main reasons that we are still doing print media is because our office is located in a Yacht Marina next to where the Cruise Ships dock.... during high season we will have as many as 20,000+ people per day in this shopping area.

I'm glad your new piece is working, and I hope that you are able to get your money back.

looks like you have the right product going out to the right people. This will really separate you from your competitors. Well done

With so many companys and agents stopping print advertising do to cost and (the phone not ringing) it may just be the way to go for some.....for those who still are looking for homes in the print you may be the one they call....or at the very least you will have marketed yourself for future business....I guess it comes down to cost vs contacts.....

Nick - took a look at your website. I need to move there! :) ~Rita

OCT

Print advertising is dead here but for a market such as yours I can see the benefit to a high quality print publication. Looks like you've solved your problem nicely. On a side note. . . my best friend from college lives on St. John and runs a charter boat operation there. He has sent many photos of your beautiful part of the world which makes me wonder why I haven't joined you both in "Paradise".

OCT

Tom and Rita,

If you decide to visit the Virgin Islands on vacation, please look me up. I'll buy coffee or rum or whatever your drink of choice is!

Thanks for all the comments everyone! It looks like we are on our way here!

Nick

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