February 6, 2012

Wedding Package give-a-way in Dayton valued at $25,000 last day to register

The wedding package give-a-way that was promoted in the January edition of REACH Magazine is going to be given away this weekend. If you know anyone who will be getting married this year, make sure they go online TODAY (2/3/12) and register for free to win. They need not be present to win, but they might also want to attend the winter wedding showcase on Saturday from 11am-4pm.

http://www.daytonweddingconnection.com/win-a-wedding-package/

WinterWeddingShowcaseRegistrationLogo Wedding Package give a way in Dayton valued at $25,000 last day to register

For businesses wanting to learn about promotion to a very small target market review this strategy. The Event Connection is wanting to reach brides to be to promote their services and the services available at the Wedding Connection. Working together with other vendors who want that same audience, they put together a enter to win package that would appeal to that audience and marketed it in Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine, REACH Magazine. When the magazine hit the homes their registrations spiked and the phones started to ring with calls from brides and other  wedding vendors that wanted to participate. Some lucky bride will be winning $25,000.00 worth of gifts and services this Saturday. News of the prize and the event made the newspaper causing another spike in registrations on the online register to win page which also offers tickets to the event this weekend. Participating vendors will be given the email addresses of brides that register at the event tomorrow.

Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine in Dayton • pdemott@reachusa.com • 937-478-6222 • Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine

February 2012 REACH Magazine in Dayton looks exciting

It looks to me like we will hit another one out of the ball park with the February edition of REACH Magazine.

What are the things that will make consumers want to look through their REACH Magazine this issue? Why will they hang on to their REACH Magazine and review it often giving all our advertisers repeated exposure throughout the month?

The cover is fun and exciting:

As I’ve mentioned before, there are other coupon magazines distributed in the greater Dayton area that litter their covers with coupons and advertising. If you ask people why they like REACH Magazine the best, many times you will hear something like this, “REACH is like a real magazine”. What they mean when you ask them, is that the cover is appealing and they are willing for REACH to lay about their homes for a longer period than the other magazines.

REACH covers appeal to consumers and create excitement for the community

Another thing that you will notice about REACH Magazine covers is that we make an effort to create interesting seasonal covers that will appeal to consumers in the greater Dayton area. Some times it will be a family and other times it might be something like UD Sports or Wright State Sports, or the Air show. Whatever it is, our goal is to give that magazine a reason to lay around for many weeks in the home.

Here is the cover of the February edition / Isn’t this just FUN?

CoverGoRed February 2012 REACH Magazine in Dayton looks exciting

On the back cover you will see the 17th annual Dayton Heart Ball for the American Heart Association. Nice tie-in with the front cover.

Yo Deal • Local deals – local causes

The Yo Deal roll out in Dayton is also tied in with the American Heart Association. Each company running a YoDeal this month will have a percentage of their Yo Deal sales go to the American Heart Association and the Go RED for Women American Heart Association month of focus on women and heart disease.

Valentines Giveaway is fun and exciting for consumers

Also on the back cover is a register to win Valentines Giveaway including a romantic package at Homewood Suites by Hilton Dayton, Dinner for two at Carvers, two dozen red roses from Englewood Florist and a heart-shaped box of chocolates from Winans. The fun thing about this is that it is easy to register and we hand the gifts over to a local Dayton area winner here at our office. Each back cover of REACH Magazine in Dayton has something you can register to win. It’s another fun way that REACH Magazine connects with the community and with consumers.

Now for the meat of what consumers love most about REACH Magazine

They love what’s inside. This issue is packed with over 18 different food vendors from fine dining to pizza delivery, from Mexican restaurants to Chinese restaurants and buffets and Japanese steak houses. With all that food, consumers have a good reason to hang on to the magazine until the next issue arrives and as they look through the magazine deciding where they might want to dine out, they also see variety in the other kinds of businesses represented. There are jewelers, home improvement companies, various home services, automotive maintenance and repair companies, car washes, tanning salons, hair salons, recreation venues even plastic surgeons and dentists. Consumers never know exactly what is going to be inside their REACH magazine so everyone looks through the magazine. The bigger the magazine the more excited consumers are to look through it.

Advertising in REACH Magazine is easy • Use the power of direct mail coupons in Dayton’s most popular coupon magazine

Is it time to find out how REACH Magazine can help you reach the customers you want? Feel free to drop me a line or send me an email. Tell me they type of business you have and I will research through our archives in Dayton, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Youngstown and other markets to find similar businesses that are doing well in REACH Magazine. Then we can go over the zone map and various pricing and advertising options that make the most sense for your type of business and budget. It’s easy to become informed about this powerful direct mail advertising option so that you can make informed choices to grow your business in Dayton Ohio and beyond.

Call today and become informed about the REACH Magazine, Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine

Call today: Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine • Dayton, OHIO • YoDEAL Dayton • Housetrends Magazine Dayton • 937-478-6222 • peter@photosbypdemott.com • pdemott@reachusa.com

Wedding Planning Guide inside REACH Magazine arrives the first week of 2012

If you cannot wait that long, you can go to this link and see more about the prizes and register to win.

Click on this graphic LINK: Win-a-wedding-package

Twentyfivethousanddollarprize Wedding Planning Guide inside REACH Magazine arrives the first week of 2012

Dayton January REACH cover Wedding Planning Guide inside REACH Magazine arrives the first week of 2012

Dayton’s REACH Magazine cover features photography by Mark Garber along with a wedding planning guide

Do you know someone who is getting married in 2012?

For all the new brides to be created over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, there is a special surprise on the cover and inside the January edition of REACH Magazine. Along with all the great coupons from restaurants and merchants and services throughout the Greater Dayton area, there is an opportunity to win a spectacular package of wedding services and gifts from local wedding vendors valued up to $25,000.00. The cover photograph is from prize-winning photographer Mark Garber. Mark is the most awarded photographer in the region and I think you can see why based one this cover.

Dayton January REACH cover Daytons REACH Magazine cover features photography by Mark Garber along with a wedding planning guide

Look for the Wedding Planning Guide inside your January REACH Magazine

The January REACH Magazine (Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine) has a wedding planning guide at the center staples of the magazine. You will also find out how you can enter to win the spectacular Wedding Package Give-away there. And if you are planning to get married some time in 2012, you will find various vendors that you may want to check out there as well.

“Hey Dad, I’m planning a $25,000.00 wedding, how do you feel about that?”

What a fun way to start out your wedding planning! If you win the package, walk up to dad and say, “Hey dad, I’m planning a wedding that will cost about $25,000.00, is that okay with you?”  Imagine the expression on his face when you tell him, “And you only have to pay for a new dress for mom, I won the rest!”

Don’t let anyone miss their chance for the wedding of their dreams

If you know someone who got engaged over the holidays or perhaps has been planning for some time and wants to win the wedding of their dreams, make sure that you send them a link to this post so that they can be on the lookout for the arrival of their January REACH magazine 2012.

REACH Magazine Engages with Consumers

We are always looking for ways to engage with consumers in the Greater Dayton market with our covers and contests. We had lots of fun putting this issue together and hope that everyone who knows anyone who is getting married in 2012 will be excited to look through this issue.

Click this link to register to win:

Twentyfivethousanddollarprize 300x171 Daytons REACH Magazine cover features photography by Mark Garber along with a wedding planning guide

Find out more about REACH Magazine, make informed choices about your advertising in 2012

If you would like to advertise in Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine or just find out more about it, feel free to call me, Peter DeMott at 937-478-6222 or email me at pdemott@reachusa.com or peter@photosbypdemott.com.

You are a fool if you think you can pull images from Google to use for your business

There is DANGER in a lack of knowledge about image usage to promote your business

There are many misunderstandings regarding copyrights and model releases of images used in business. There is a large body of people who mistakenly believe that they can do a Google search – images, and since those images are on the internet, they are free to use in the promotion of their business. There are media reps that might misinform you about images that they found using Google.

 

images logo lg You are a fool if you think you can pull images from Google to use for your business

Google indexes all images on the internet. That means photos of people’s personal family blogs, other business web sites, and anywhere they are posted on the internet can be listed in a search of images on Google. The fact that they are indexed by Google does not change the fact that someone took the picture and owns the copyrights to that image. It also does not relieve a business of getting permission in the form of a model release from the individuals in the photo so that they can use it in the promotion of their business.

Businesses beware

There are media reps who have no clue about these potential liabilities. I am currently in a discussion on Facebook with a women whose family pictures of them at a Christmas Tree lot picking up their tree was swiped from their family blog by a media sales rep. The media rep has admitted that she found it using a Google Image search. She explained that since Google has it, it is in the “public domain” which is entirely untrue, uninformed and wrong. The image in question has now been used by a business in another state in the promotion of their business without a model release from the family or any written use agreement from the creator of the image. It was pulled from “Google Images” by the media rep and used by the business on their website and in print advertising now for two years.

Someone buying Christmas tree You are a fool if you think you can pull images from Google to use for your business

We live in a small world now

The woman whose family is depicted is exceedingly upset about this. Because of Facebook and the internet, the world is much smaller. One of her friends from this other state saw the ad and advised her that her family was being used to promote a business. This Facebook discussion is long with many people suggesting that she sue the business and the media outlets that are using the image. She may do that and the business, the media rep, and the media vendors may all be on the hook for the foolish actions of an uniformed sales person.

As a business owner, beware

If an image is being used by your business in the promotion of your business it should be from a stock agency where model releases are required. If it is an image you have taken, that is not enough. You should have people within your images sign a model release for your protection before you use the image for promotion of your business. Another source of images for your business is of course a local photographer making custom images just for your business, but remember it is the responsibility of the person publishing the image to make sure that model releases are on file for your protection.

And, if one media outlet has purchased a usage license for images from a stock agency for your ad in their publication for the promotion of your business this does not mean that you can allow another media outlet to use those same images. For example if REACH magazine purchases a usage license for an image and creates an ad that you just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,  If the license is limited to one vendor, it is not transferable. The stock agency can sue you for using images with a use license if you should take the ad an publish it with a different vendor.

As I look at this discussion on Facebook, about every 3rd or 4th comment by her “friends” tell her she should sue everyone involved. There are easily 150 comments at this time. This discussion will get back to the business owner soon and I don’t know if legal action will take place. But I do know that he was unaware that the media rep had used an image without regard to the people in the picture. This media rep (not from this area) is either ignorant of the law, ill-informed, or figured she could get away with it because the original image was posted many states away from the business location… no one will ever notice….. WRONG.

As a business owner know these rules for your protection

RULE ONE:

All images are copyrighted to the creator of the image unless otherwise noted.

RULE TWO:

Get written permission to use the images and likenesses of people in the promotion of your business. This should be in the form of a blanket “model release” signed by the person in the photograph, or by the parents if it is a minor. Don’t assume participation equals permission with no written document to prove it in court. Ideally, the document should describe how you intend to use the image as well as possible uses with the person’s signature and date. If you would like wording for a simple model release just send me an email and I will send you one that I have used (peter@photosbypdemott.com) You never know when someone is going to become not pleased with your business and change their minds. Having a written, signed model release shows due diligence for your business and protects you from being sued.

 

Daily deals with a couple good twists for Dayton Ohio

With a plurality of daily deals popping up at every corner, which one does a business choose in Dayton, Ohio?

There are the national companies like Living social and Groupon. Then there are all kinds of spin off versions of the exact same thing.

yodeal.com, local deals, local causes is coming to Dayton.

I will be posting more about this as I become more informed, but here are a couple advantages of yodeal. First off the business can get closer to 65% of every deal sold rather than the 50/50 split that most of the others offer. But, the big difference is that your yodeal is linked to a local cause or charity of your choosing and a percentage of every sales is donated to that local charity on behalf of you business. Not only does this do your soul some good, but the local charity can send the rally cry to make sure everyone notices your daily deal and takes advantage of it.

There is more to come, but for now I would encourage you to go ahead and log-on the yodeal with your name and email address. I will add more posts here as I learn more about the ins and outs of yodeal in Dayton. If you are a business wanting to do something a little different and possibly be featured in ads in REACH magazine, give me a call now. Peter DeMott 937-478-6222.

http://www.yodeal.com/dayton

YoDeal.com dayton Daily deals with a couple good twists for Dayton Ohio

Until I have some more information for you, here are some sample deals that have run in Cincinnati and some of the Charities that have benefitted.

YoDeal Local Charities benefit Daily deals with a couple good twists for Dayton Ohio

If you would like to learn more about Yodeal in Dayton, please give me a call.

REACH Magazine • Peter DeMott • 937-478-6222 • pdemott@reachusa.com

How are your phones answered? It can determine if your business fails or flourishes

A friend of mine has a blog about the photography business. She explained that she frequently contacts other photographers all over the state and is somewhat amazed at how bad some voice mail messages can be. In some cases people speak to fast. In other cases they ramble. In some cases the messages are just difficult to understand. Here is her short post with some quick tips to improve your voice mail message.

Wootness TM on the web

As an consultant to many small businesses in my work as an advertising sales person at REACH Magazine, I have to analyze what needs to be fixed to improve the chances that advertising will work for my clients. If phones are answered in an unprofessional manner or if phones go to voice mail or answering machines, there is a good chance that no matter how effective my advertising is, the advertising will not work for the client. REALLY!!!!

I go one step further than Christine regarding voice mail

After you take Christine’s advice and make your outgoing message, short and sweet and understandable consider this.

If someone is calling you for the first time, it is almost critical for them to talk with a real person. How do you accomplish that as a small business? I frequently suggest that small businesses that do not have a receptionist to hire an answering service. For $20-$30 per month a small business can increase the effectiveness of their advertising investments by 100% or more.

Consumers and first time clients do NOT like voice mail

You see, todays consumers do not want to play phone tag with you. Consumers today are very busy and if they get a voice mail message on the other end of the line they also tend to have concerns pop up over the quality of the company they are calling. If someone calls you as a result of your advertising or after looking at your web site, they still do not know you and this increases the likelihood that the will not leave a message. With a REAL person answering the phone, more people are willing to leave a message. If your advertising brings you 10 phone calls, wouldn’t you like to receive more of them? Wouldn’t you rather receive 8 or 9 of them instead of 1 or zero? That’s how much difference having a REAL person answer the phone can make.

A good answering service will answer politely with the name of your business. They will explain that you are not currently available to answer the call because you are with another client or working on a project for a client. They will ask when would be the best time to call you back and they will politely ask for the phone number of the prospective new client.

Too many small businesses are under the impression that they actually receive most of the calls that come in

Another service that I offer for clients is call tracking. You’ve heard those messages that say, “this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes.” when you have called various businesses. Well, as a small business, we can set up one of those for your advertising. You will be able to determine how many hang-ups you get from your advertising (many consumers hang-up on answering machines and voice mails before any message can be recorded).

You will also be able to determine how your phones are being answered because call tracking records every conversation for your review at a later time. Are your prospects being politely answered and calmly listened to or do your employees give them short shrift? You will know if your employees need more training or if you may even need to replace someone. If you “depend” on your voice mail or answering machine you will see just how much that is hurting your business.

Alternative message for outgoing voicemail

I like what Christine said about a simple and clear message for your out-going voicemail message. For small businesses that are unwilling to consider an answering service, I make one more suggestion. In the outgoing message, if you can do this it will improve the number of people willing to leave a message. I suggest that this short phrase be added to the message: “I am currently talking with another customer, but I should be able to call you back within a few minutes, could you please leave your phone number and I will call you right back.” For my small home remodeling contractors who refuse to sign up for an answering service, this can be effective. For example a roofing contractor might say, ” Thank you for you call, I may be on a ladder or on a roof, you wouldn’t want me to fall because I quickly answered my phone. Could you please leave your phone number and I will call you as soon as I am safe and sound on the ground?”

You can be creative with your out-going phone message, but you have to be clear an understandable as was mentioned on the other blog.

Your business could fail because of how you handle this one issue

I have had companies spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on advertising only to find out that they fell down in this one area. I might have one company that handles phones well say, “Wow, REACH is fantastic advertising…I closed this much business last month from the ad we ran!” Another similar type of business with a similar ad, but who falls down on this one area might say, ” Did that ad ever go out? I don’t think I got anything from my ad.”

As you know, businesses can fail because of their weakest link. In far many cases it is because of something so simple as how the phone gets answered. Such a simple thing to correct, but many small businesses fail because they don’t think this is that important.

It does not matter how good your advertising is. It does not matter how effective your SEO on your web site is. If your phones are not handled correctly, your business could fail.

Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine in Dayton Ohio • pdemott@reachusa.com • 937-478-6222

Bridal Event and Wedding Planning Guide for Dayton area vendors

Plans continue for the Wedding Planning Guide inside REACH magazine in the Dayton market. Here are some of the details and link to pricing and ads sizes.

We have potentially between 35 and 50 vendor booths to give away to any bridal / Wedding businesses that want to participate. See the details in the link below. Here is my most recent update as more vendors step to the plate and participate it gets bigger and bigger.

zena2 Bridal Event and Wedding Planning Guide for Dayton area vendors

Outstanding Wedding vendor promotional opportunity including massive print advertising, radio promotion and a bridal event. 

Please review information about the Wedding Planning Guide inside the January edition of REACH Magazine. It will be reaching 260,000 homes in the greater Dayton market and there is an associated bridal event planned by the Event Connection for brides on Feb 4th & 5th.

Vendors  who choose to participate in the Wedding Planning Guide will be given a booth at this event (first come, first served so respond sooner rather than later- Booths are 8×10, but larger displays can be purchased at additional cost). Booths are subject to available space. We are looking at between 35 and 50 booth spaces.

Learn more by reviewing this PDF document that discusses the details and shows various pricing options.

http://www.box.net/shared/85dsc9oj8ysv6s6glhjy

Do not hesitate to call me with any questions you may have. Peter DeMott 937-478-6222

Potentially thousands of brides will be registering on eReach.com to win the bridal package give away. Additional promotional opportunities are available to any vendor wishing to offer something toward the Bridal Package Give-a-way.

• Brides register to win Huge Bridal Package Give-a-Way

• Pull out section in the center of REACH magazine gives your ad lasting value

• Full color glossy display ads (no coupons) for every budget

• 260,000 distribution throughout the greater Dayton market

• Radio promotion of the guide and the event in the first two weeks of January

• Exposure to moms and dads, brides and grooms to be at a prime time / January and February of 2012.

All the brides that register to win the prize will be invited to the February event at the EVENT Connection. To be a part of that event, you must purchase an ad in the Wedding Planning Guide. The booth space is no charge for those purchasing an ad (again, subject to available booth space).

Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine in Dayton • 937-478-6222 • pdemott@reachusa.com

 

Guest Post: I’d like to buy that customer please!

buy that customer Guest Post: Id like to buy that customer please!

What?  Buy a customer?  Are you crazy?  It’s not like I can go to the Dayton Mall and pick one out off of the rack.  Actually, it’s less painful than shopping and I’ll show you why…

How are you bringing in new customers?

First let me ask you a question.  How do you bring customers into your business now?  You put an Ad in Reach Magazine, or on the radio, Daily Dayton News, you join BNI hoping that these strategies will magically bring you customers?   If you said yes pat yourself on the back because you are actively trying to grow your business and better the Dayton community.  What you are about to learn will help you get better customers; probably at a discount.

How much does a customer cost?

The first step is to figure out how much a customer costs you.  To do this let’s look at an example. You’ve spent $2000 on an ad campaign.  As a result, you had 200 people call you and 1 out of 5 of these ‘Leads’ actually buys from you.  If you work through the numbers it cost you $10 a Lead.  So it cost you $50 for a sale ($10/Lead X 5 Leads = 1 Sale).  In this example it cost you $50 for a new Customer.  That cost is called ‘Customer Acquisition Cost’.

Do the math

Now that you know it costs you $50 to buy a customer you also know how much you can spend on your specific marketing campaign.  You also know how many customer you need from that campaign to make your marketing an investment rather than an expense.  There is one more piece to this; the lifetime value of a customer.  Say that over the lifetime of their patronage, a customer spends $1000 with you and $200 of that is profit.  Now how many times would you invest that $50 to buy more customers?  Spend $50 make $150 – I like that math! Of course each business is different and you will need to plug in your numbers to make this work for you.

It really is that simple.  As long as you are making more per customer than your ‘Customer Acquisition Cost’ you are ready to increase your profits.  One last tip, test and measure EVERY THING in your marketing campaign.  Marketing after all is math and not every form of advertising works for every business. Talk with companies similar to yours that are using a particular form of advertising. Ask the sales person for references outside of your market (your competitor is not likely to tell you what his most effective advertising is) and do your homework.

I’d like to buy several today

I’d like one one-time customer, 6 Regular customers and 3 life-time customers please. Oh, yes and please deliver them to my business address express delivery.

MaryMiller Guest Post: Id like to buy that customer please!

Mary Miller works with businesses throughout the Miami Valley helping them to grow and increase profits and have a life too. By learning to focus your energy where it can do the most good as a business owner, you can start running your business based on the important decisions rather than letting your business run you. Thank you Mary Miller for your guest post on GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN DAYTON.

Mary Miller • ActionCOACH Business Coaching • marymiller@actioncoach.com • 937-723-0828 • Dayton, Ohio

Website: http://www.actioncoach.com/marymiller

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mmillersnetwork

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Miller-ActionCOACH/200386689983117

Reflections on doing a good job for small businesses

Current and past successes

Over the last couple days I have been delivering sample magazines to my clients in REACH Magazine. It was fun and I will tell you why.

One client going National

At one location, I stopped in to pick up checks for the prior month’s advertising. Each time I go there, things are looking nicer and nicer. This client has been with me more than 15 years. Now, he has created a franchise fast food business that is expanding nationwide. There was a new sign on the side door that said, “Employee entrance only.”  I asked the accountant if that applied to me and she said, “No Peter, your special, you can use that door any time.” I sat down with the owner of the business and he showed me some ads they are running in a national restaurant news magazine. He asked me, “What do you think?, no really I want to know your thoughts.” I looked at it and made some suggestions and he invited his graphic designer in and asked me to explain my thoughts again. “Okay, he said, lets try those ideas on the next run.”

New restaurant just hopping with business

At another business, also food, I stopped in for late lunch (after 1pm). The place was hopping to say the least. I had a very nice lunch then dropped of the proof for the next issue at the front desk. The owner had left before I finished my meal. While I was there I asked how many coupons they were seeing lately (REACH had just come out a couple of days ago). The fellow behind the counter taking my payment said between 40 and 70 coupons a day.  A little guestimating… that ad paid for itself in 2-to-4 days max. Every day after than was pure profit.

Home remodeler’s business is up significantly

I talked with a completely different kind of business earlier in the week. A home remodeler that I have worked with for many years now. I wanted to confirm that he wanted to focus his advertising around his home community for November and December and I also wanted to confirm that he was okay to go. With the economic ups and downs over the last couple of years there have been times when I have had to let some clients skip mailings. When I asked him how things were going this year, to my surprise, he said his business was up over 30% this year. I know other businesses that have not done well this year who are not advertising and who cut back and back and back. However this fellow was almost too busy to advertise. He indicated that cutting back to his own neighborhoods would be a good idea since he was not sure that he could handle a full run of the areas he normally advertises in.

New Spa and Salon growing fast

I stopped off at another salon, spa client with their proof for their next mailing. The owner was not in, but I was chatting with the counter help. One woman chimed in with, “I told her that if she keeps on doing anything it should be REACH.” I asked what she had tried. The woman explained that they had tried all the other coupon companies, but that REACH definitely was bringing her more customers than any of the others did. How many coupons come in each day? Oh, she said, maybe between 2 and 5 each day and most of them are brand new clients. Based on their average ticket, they are doing just peachy.

Another salon sceptical

Just the other day, I presented to another salon near Fairborn. I explained that consumers in Dayton LOVE REACH magazine. You should get a profitable response from the get go, I said, with good offers that is.  This salon owner explained all the things they had tried with various newspapers and other advertising and nothing worked enough to be worth the money spent. I explained again that everyone LOVES REACH magazine and she should do well. Her response was that everyone who sells advertising says that and how can I believe you?  I was going to give her names from outside her market that she could call, but she was too convinced toward the negative. I’ll talk with her again and bring some more samples.

Why am I telling you this?

I am telling you this because I want you to know that I enjoy helping businesses to grow. You can trust me on that.

October REACH002 Reflections on doing a good job for small businesses