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[DA]

Although only a very small percentage of viewers here would have an interest in the following...I'd still like to report on a Money-Maker I've just created;

I'm an "Advertising" guy.  I hunt for ways for small retailers and other small businesses to advertise to get customers or clients.  I've done "Ads on Placemats, "Ads on Menus", "Ads on Daily Special Boards", "Ads on "Map Boards placed in Hotel Lobbies", "A Book of Menus placed in hotel lobbies", "Ads on TV Channel Guides placed in Hotel Rooms", "Ads on Table Trivia booklets placed on restaurant tables", which brings me to my latest "discovery".

Understand something...I get these "pulses of inspiration" because I'm "out on the battlefield" everyday...talking to business and professional people....finding out WHAT they WANT (They all WANT ways to bring in New Customers and Clients)

Well....I was having lunch at one of the restaurants that carry my "Table Trivia Report", which is an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of card stock, with 12 to 15 business-card size ads and Trivia questions, folded, laminated and stuck into a plastic base so it can be set on a restaurant table....and I got a "Hot Flash";

It was coming time to renew the ads on this sheet and I just did NOT have the "energy" to go out and call on 12 to 15 advertisers again. 

I thought about one of my other "Ad Programs"...Ads on TV Channel Guides placed in hotel rooms. 

On these pieces I placed ONE "Pizza Ad" on the front, under the TV Channels and 3 to 4 Ads on the back.  These are placed in plastic stands next to the TV in each hotel room.  4 to 5 Ads for which I get good money.

Well...as I sat there, eating lunch, my waitress came over and told me to "Take a Look at out New Dessert Menu!"

The "Dessert Menu" was a full color sheet (5" by 7" high) of Dessert items, placed in a plastic stand, on my table.  The other side was BLANK.

Well...as a guy who's trained his mind to "look for places to put Ads"....I thought; "Hey!  Why can't I put an Ad on the other side....along with some Trivia Questions (to keep diners entertained until their meal comes)....and provide the whole enchilida FREE to the restaurant?

Well...I asked for a copy of their new Dessert Menu and scurried back to my office... pulled up my handy Graphics program...scanned in the Dessert Menu...plugged in some of the Trivia Questions from the Trivia Booklet...plugged in ONE Ad...printed it out on my inkjet...trimmed the sheet down to 5 by 7 and put it into one of my TV Channel Stands....and WHALA!

A NEW AD PROGRAM WAS CREATED!

So...I went back to the restaurant...showed the owner my creation and told him I'd provide these to him for Freebies AND...the Trivia Questions could also "keep his diners involved so they wouldn't be Antsy about their food order"....making for Happier Customers and Happier Cooks and Wait People.

Well...the guy said, "Go For It!"

So...I took the sample I made up over to a local Insurance guy (who's advertised with me before)....told him I'd put his Exclusive Ad on 10 Tables for $150/Mo for 3 months ($450 for 3 mos)  He LEAPED at it!

I then went to the owner of a Real Estate office...offered his Ad on another 10 Tables for 3 mos ($450) and he also, jumped at it.

I then showed my sample stand to a Carpet Cleaner who happened to be in the restaurant....who also took 10 Tables for $150 a Month for 3 mos (another $450)

So...in one afternoon...from just a "simple idea"....and a "MockUp", that cost me about $2, I was able to create and PROVE the Saleability of an Ad Program where I collected $450 x 3 = $1350....and will "cost" me about $50.

So...once again I was able to show that, "Money-Making Ideas are ALL Around!"...ya just gotta keep yer mind open....and...take the next step....DO IT!

Thanks for reading,

Don Alm

[Rob D]

Hi Don,

  I think that there will be huge interest in what you just posted.   It is absolute gold.   So many people want to make money online because they have been sucked in by the whole "Make money while you sleep" sales pitch.   For me it's slightly different.   I have two kids on the way and in 2 months ONLY my income will count.   For me it's "Make money SO I can sleep".
  I think anyone who discounts offline advertising as a possible way of making money simply doesn't want to make money badly enough.

Rob         

[goldrush]

Great post. Classic example of a win-win-win situation. Providing value for people all round. The advertiser, the customer and yourself!

[Lisa Preston]

Great post!
And never assume that this forum is only for internet marketers! A healthy percentage of our users here are in fact offline brick-and-mortar businesses! Straddling that fence is an art unto itself.

[JJ]

I wonder how many places this was cut and pasted to?
hxxp: www. the evil that must never be spoken. com/forum/showthread. php?p=20946

Lisa, I would ask that you look at the link below and using your experience in the industry, help us all a bit. . . . .
I have 2 questions from the following link?
hxxp: www. tvchannelguides. com/

1) based on the graphics shown, would you consider them saleable?
2) Again drawing from your experience, are these graphics something one of the major Corps listed would give final approval to?


To offer full disclosure, I am not a fan of Don Alm!

I do feel he has an idea or 2 worth pursuing, or developing if you will.
I suggest using his ideas and opening a thread as a brainstorm session and a way to develop the "idea" into a workable plan of attack.

Don admits in his Midas Report offering that he is only offering a Preview
On his Midas Reports website he calls his reports "preview reports".

So for those interested in stepping into one of these interesting Biz Ops, Open a thread on one as a brainstorming session on one of the ideas.


Tip, if you are dead set on buying Dons report, I saw it offered on his site a couple of weeks ago for $50 -$75.   Contact him, he may negotiate

[Lisa Preston]

Hi JJ -

I took a look at the link http://tvchannelguides.com as requested.

You asked:

1) based on the graphics shown, would you consider them saleable?

The IDEA is definitely saleable, and unfortunately, so are those images. Now, just because I say they are saleable, doesn't mean I believe they are good quality. I think a professional designer should have put these together to create an attractive product that would appeal to more than just a few places.

2) Again drawing from your experience, are these graphics something one of the major Corps listed would give final approval to?

I understand where you're going with that question, and I hate to disappoint you, but the corporations listed do not review the final product in situations like this. What happens is that the product is pitched - usually by phone - to a low level media person at these companies, and they have "carte blanche" to approve ads under a certain cost. I would hazzard a guess that the pitch was simply to ask them to place their logo on the product, probably exclusivity for their market, and the minion sends an approved logo for them to use. Case closed.

Hope that answers your questions!

Cheers!
Lisa

[JJ]

Lisa,

I understand the idea is saleable. . . . I do not feel the images were ever sold.
Here is why(If you care to look), Please look a bit closer at the Pizza Hut ad.

Let me ask you this Lisa. . . .
Do you really feel this ad was printed and sold?
I don't claim to know everything in the advet industry, but while working for a chain hotel, I have approved ads.  and guess what. . . . . .  this is not one that would get a green light.   Not because it was crap, but because each property had a logo sheet that was expected to be used in ads.   These were not poor knockoff ads like DA clamis to have printed and sold.   Now, Maybe I am wrong, I guess it is possible that Roseburg is the the "dumB" capital of Oree-Gun.   Meaning that all of the Bizzes fall for DA's made-up ads.

My Guess is Nahhhhhhhhhh, he is trying to dupe you!


So Lisa I guess I disagree based on my experience with adverts in the hospitality industry.

While I understand that the corps don't see the ads, the "franchisees" in this case know what is expected and allowed.   If they don't follow the guidelines on one of the 400 pages that they signed, they risk losing the franchise? 
DUHHHHHH!

[Lisa Preston]

Okay, but... that wasn't what you asked me.
You asked two specific questions. Based on my own 20 years in print advertising and marketing, and the past 10-15 in graphic design, I'm just telling you the answers as I know them.

Cheers!
Lisa

[AndrewCavanagh]

Any kind of advertising where you can joint venture with other
businesses with minimal cost is likely to make a profit simply
because it costs so little to implement and test.

Smart small business owners (or smart marketing consultants)
would set up deals themselves with local non-competitive
businesses.

If you're really smart you'll realize the real money is how you capture
and follow up with the leads you generate from this kind of
advertising.

If you can use effectively follow up, cross selling and upselling
to multiply the value of the leads you create you can afford
to spend more money on the initial advertising.

So you might be able to give away a valuable product or service free on
the front end knowing you'll create more than enough backend
profits to cover the expense.

The more value you create out of your leads the more generous you
can become which makes it very difficult for other businesses to
compete with your offers.

And how do you increase this lead value?

One way is to capture email contact details and follow up with a carefully
designed email sequence that educates your prospects, offers your
products and services and may even offer the products and services of
your joint venture partners.

You may also use telephone or snail mail follow ups at key points
in the sales process.

Strategy in advertising, joint ventures and your overall business can make
you many times the profits.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

[tonyjohnson]

Don:  Excellent idea and thanks for sharing your always great ideas!

JJ:  Take your pessimistic attitude and try to make something positive out of it. 

Lisa:  Thanks for taking the time to try and answer JJ's questions to you.   

[Josh Anderson]

Great post Don.

It reminds me of a couple other great ideas using this came concept like this one:

One guy offered to provide hotels with plastic key cards for free if they let him put advertising on them... he would put mostly restaurants and pizza joints on there and turned it into a huge business.

[DA]

Yup...."Key Card" advertising is HUGE....and....here's one I do every Springtime when the "Tourist-Oriented" biz are getting ready for the Summer Season;

It's simply a plastic stand sitting on the front desk of hotels. 8 1/2 by 11high with a full color sheet with the words;
"PARENTS! Take One of our FREE..."KIDS EAT FREE" cards!

In the box attached to the bottom right are some 3 x 5 Cards that shows where they can eat and their kids eat free.

This is totally FREE to the hotels and they get ALL the "Credit" and GREAT "Kudos" from their guests.  Win for Hotels, Win for Guests.

And, I win because I charge the restaurants $180/mo to be in 6 hotels for 6 mos ($1,080 per restaurant)...and I'm usually able to get 18 restaurants per Town.

And...the restaurants WIN because, even though they don't charge for kids under 12, they "Get the Parent's Business"...which they might not have gotten.

So...a "simple idea" like this turns out to be a "4-Win" program.

Don Alm