If You Want My Advertising Dollars, You're Going to Have to Offer Me More!

It was one of those marketing phone calls that got through my highly structured cell phone call blocker programs.  Okay, here's the truth...I took the call because I thought it was a client who has an out of town area code.  It wasn't.

So I find myself talking to a young lady who is trying to get me to buy an "exclusive ad" in the local movie guide publication.  This upcoming movie preview piece is in our local theater and she is giving me the change to be the only Realtor who will be in the publication.  It's only $70 per month with a one time set up fee of a hundred bucks or so and people pick it up when they're in the theater and it's a great blah, blah, blah.  Yeah, sweetheart, I've heard the speech before!

So I begin asking questions.

"Does this get my ad any screen time?"  No.  That's a different company.

"Does this get my ad online anywhere?  You do have a website connected with this which will push my marketing in front of an online audience right?"  No.  Don't have that.  No website.

"Well, is my ad going to be on the theater's website where people can see it?  Surely I get that right?"  No.  We don't do that either.

What this company was trying to sell me was a $70 per month ad in a print publication that may or may not be picked up by people leaving the theater in Owasso, Oklahoma.  Now, this is interesting.  Because my office happens to be across the street from this theater.  And I live in Owasso.  And what everyone in Owasso knows is that you don't go to the theater on Friday nights if you want to see a movie because that's when all the kids are there.  And kids don't buy houses.  And even if the kids pick up the little advertising piece, which I doubt very many will, it wont' make it home.  It will end up in the trash somewhere or thrown down in the parking lot.  Yeah, that's money well spent.  So I told this nice young lady to tell her boss that they needed to seriously think about an online piece in what they are offering.  She said she would.  And I hope she does.  Because I don't pay for paper marketing anymore if it doesn't have an online presence.

So, if you're a telemarketer and you want my advertising dollars, listen up.  Don't call me if you don't have an online presence.  And if you do have an online presence, be prepared to tell me how many real people visit your site and how many click throughs I can expect to come to my ad or website.  And even better, how are you going to push my ad to the social media marketplace? 

Until you know and can deliever that, please don't call anymore!