Newspaper Classifieds Vs. Thrifty Nickle (small, Free, Ad Papers)

jpchapboy profile photo

That is the question! While the smaller local classified ad paper (the one you can pick up when you walk in to the grocery store) Is cheaper to advertize in is it really cost effective? I just placed an ad in the small one and only got two calls in a week. Do the daily newspaper classified ads perform better? Anyone with experience in this have some real numbers (i.e. cost per lead) Thanks!
Josh
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Comments(10)

  • landlandland29th January, 2004

    I have not advertised in a "Thrifty Nickel" publication but I have to say they're pretty good for finding properties for sale in other people's ads. It runs in streaks, though.

    CK

  • Locutus930th January, 2004

    This month, even my large circulation newspaper isn't generating many calls. I had about 15 a week in December, and 1 in 3 weeks for January. Hopefully calls will heat up, following the Super Bowl. "Can't sell that house until after the game!"

  • bgrossnickle30th January, 2004

    I always say that you can not sell or rent that house until after the IRS refund check.

    Brenda

  • cpifer30th January, 2004

    Let me jump in on this one:

    Smaller is better in my market of Dallas, Texas. We run a Loss Mitigation/Foreclosure consulting business here and also seek out investors for our RE limited Parntership and mitigation cases that MUST liquidate their homes.

    The Dallas Morning New, our big paper cost $1,000 a month and generated NO CALLS. The New Yourk Times was cheaper and gernated few calls.

    The most we spent in the Green Sheet, a free paper like the Thrifty Nickel was $800 a month and got the most calls., sometimes 3 or 4 a day, about 15 to 20 calls a week.

    We have since beeen able to cut our Green Sheet advertising down to $300 a month and get more calls than ever so we are using the left over $ to do cable advertising.

    C-

  • InActive_Account30th January, 2004

    I think that the local "bird cage liner" newspapers allow you to target the areas you're interested in. So, while you may not get as many calls off the ads, because they reach less people, the quality of call may be better.

  • jpchapboy30th January, 2004

    So is there any special keywords to put in your ads to get people to call? I'm also curious to know how Cpifer reduced his Green Sheet advertizing from $800 to $300 a month?

  • jpchapboy30th January, 2004

    So is there any special keywords to put in your ads to get people to call? I'm also curious to know how Cpifer reduced his Green Sheet advertizing from $800 to $300 a month?
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  • pejames31st January, 2004

    As for the special keywords, I would look in the marketing forum here and find what ever sounds good to you, also, look for the similar ads in your area and adjust them to fit your needs. The reduction in cost for cpifer could be attributed to signing a longer contract with the paper...like a 1 year deal...normally the longer you use the source, the better rates you can recieve, and also you might try negotiating price with the source you choose to utilize.
    Good luck




    Quote:
    On 2004-01-30 13:37, jpchapboy wrote:
    So is there any special keywords to put in your ads to get people to call? I'm also curious to know how Cpifer reduced his Green Sheet advertizing from $800 to $300 a month?

  • Locutus931st January, 2004

    My paper offers better rates if I agree to a year long contract. I can change the wording as I like, but need to keep the ad running for a year. Don't know if that's how any one else reduces costs, but it dropped my rates considerably.

  • tinman17555th February, 2004

    I love little papers, not only am I able to keep track of the calls and concentrate on the ads that work but they are cheaper.
    I put one ad in last month, for $30.00 in 5 areas and one in the free paper that covers the whole pgh area and I am still getting 10 to 15 calls a day. I made a lot of deals work last year because of little papers.

    Keep track and see which ones work for you

    Lori
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