i have small moving co.what is most efficient way to advertise on $500 budget?

Answer 1

Impossible to answer with the information given.

We would need to know your target market (residential or commercial), the area you are in (resources available), and the inhouse skills you are bringing to the table (do you have someone onstaff who can do graphic design or is a decent photographer for example.) You also need to specify is this a one time event or an ongoing campaign (say $500/month for an indefinate period of time)

A good generic answer would be to figure out who your target market is (commercial vs individual vs government) and design a campain appropriately.

If you try to do a "one size fits all" campaign without targeting anyone in particular you will waste your money. You also need to know how much of a sudden influx of business you can handle and plan accordingly.

Here are a few basic ideas. They are for individuals but you can customize them as needed.
Think about the other things that your customers use. Getting on the "recommended partner" list of a good real estate could easily net you several referrels a month. Other ideas would be things like cruising neighborhoods for "for sale" or "for rent" signs and putting flyers on the door for the new owners to find.

Another idea might be to contact your local cable/telephone/utility companies and see if you can purchase their cancellation list and use it for prospecting. You could also purchase the new customer list but by the time they turn on the utilities they have probably already made arrangements for movers.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Who are the people most likely to use your service? I suppose its people who are moving out of their apartments or homes.

If that is correct, then, the question to ask is....."who else would know about these people?

When you get that answer, you can try and advertise through those people in some way, or pay a small incentive for that type of information or for an introduction.

Your budget is not going to go far, so the answers the others have give are all relevant.

Answer 3

offer cash referrals!!! $20 per completed referral! and by completed i mean, the referred customer actually used your services.

Word of mouth advertising is most cost effective, espically when there is money to be made from it!

Use about $150 of your exsisting $500 to make lots of flyers, 1/2 page will do, or maybe even 1/3 page flyers, and pass them out everywhere! Colleges, post offices, or maybe even try to ask the local paper company/ post office, how much they would charge to have your flyer put into the mail. (maybe a small targeted area, ie, 1 or 2 zip codes, near your business.)

Answer 4

small local paper if in small town cost are less laundry matts for flyers ,as well as a eye catcher at the street corner have something eye catching offer a drawing for a free move on your flyer it may get you calls as well as in town discounts but most of all word of mouth and flyers will be the best and news paper add
yellow pages 2

Answer 5

Door to door flyers and postings at local apartment complexes.

Answer 6

word of mouth from a bar stool or lap dance