Best places to advertise?

paddymorgan27 · Post by **paddymorgan27** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:15 pm

Hei people!
I have just created a small buisness and wondered if i could pick your brains.
To find out where the best place would be to advertise my plumbing company , quite frankly i have recived a lot of phone calls offering me this and that advertising pakages.
Maybe there is an advertising guru on this forum, or if you needed a plumber where would you look first ? any info would be appriciated =)

**Sponsor:**

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:22 pm

Word of mouth works well here. Get your first few customers to spread the word around!

If you want to keep your business local then leaflets through doors is one way. Get some kids to help you! Or you could advertise in the local freebie newspapers (not free, but some of those get a good circulation, eg the Länsiväylä in Espoo).

Supermarket noticeboards (I'm always browsing through those). Or maybe at your local DIY store.

In the phone book.

On here.

But (to answer your question) if I was looking for a plumber, I would ask my friends, or maybe the neighbours, for a recommendation.

EP · Post by EP » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:28 pm

Phone catalogues yellow pages.

And pages like luettelomedia.com, yritystele.fi, abc.fi, and so on. And maybe occationally a local small newspaper, small ads section.

Plumber is not something one needs often, so "hei, lets get some plumbing job done, this ad is so tempting" does not come into question.

ajdias · Post by **ajdias** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:52 pm

Internet directories are useful as far as they have a free listing. Their paid services (tags, sponsored results, etc.) are usually not worth it.

Avoid companies like Directa, and whatever names they may go by - make sure to say no thank you clearly as some of them are know to invoice clients after a short phone conversation where no direct confirmation for paid services was given by the "client".

If you are going for internet advertising stick with Google (make sure your campaign is highly targeted and your pages are optimized for conversion).

Good luck!

FinnGuyHelsinki · Post by **FinnGuyHelsinki** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:03 am

I would suggest to have at least a basic web page with your (up-to-date) contact information you can be also reached from (emails replied to, phone answered,...), preferably done by a professional to have a nice and clean design. Doesn't need to be over-the-top, just not looking like put together by a 10-year-old (there's more to web design than HTML), as it also reflects your professionalism in general. Personally I always search the Internet first whenever I'm interested in something I don't buy daily, be it services or goods.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:27 am

Website that pops up when you search in the right area - I don't want to know you are in Perähikiä if I'm looking for a plumber in Espoo and vice versa. One thing is those postcard-size adverts you can even go deal out into the mailboxes - if you're local guy.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:30 am

paddymorgan27 wrote:To find out where the best place would be to advertise my plumbing company , quite frankly i have recived a lot of phone calls offering me this and that advertising pakages.

New company registered -> directory salesman gets orgasm. Don't bother, they are overpriced compared to visibility you get. Get business cards and give everyone them. Find addresses of local housing management companies and send them a4 ad, call afterward to ask if they have anything to offer and vise versa. Subcontracting might not be gold mine, but it will give you references and connections.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:33 am

Upphew wrote: New company registered -> directory salesman gets orgasm.

Yeah, I'd asked them if they called about the special offer of shoving a lead pipe up their...

those directories are mostly useless crap. If I wanted to advertise someplace - I'd call them. Even "english speaking plumber helsinki" in google ads would target an expat crowd precisely.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:01 am

paddymorgan27 wrote:if you needed a plumber where would you look first ? any info would be appriciated =)

Back in the old days, I would have browsed the yellow pages in the phonebook. These days, I go to 02.fi first. (Keywords: putkiliike, putkiliikkeitä, putkimies, putkiasennus, putkiasennusta, putkiasentaja, putkityöt, LVI)

paddymorgan27 · Post by **paddymorgan27** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:52 pm

Niceone!
Some good info there

As I am a English plumber I will need a good web page that is in Finnish, English and Swedish.
There are many on the market for around 50 euros a month, but is anybody using a particular one, or willing to recomend me a good site =). I have thought about a provider called Kotisivukone, does anybody have any knowledge about this particular site.
As far as getting myself know in the expat community living in Finland, does anybody read something in particular ie Helsinki Times that would be a good place to spend some money on advertiseing.
Thanks

ajdias · Post by **ajdias** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:14 pm

Upphew wrote:New company registered -> directory salesman gets orgasm.

Oh yeah, naive and innocent clients who have no idea of the cr@p you~re selling.

Paddy, kotisivukone (or moogo.com, their international version) is fine and you won't need to pay 50 euros/month. Btw, google just announcedlocations extensions, something very neat for small businesses.

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 11:56 pm

nice ad services to come by..Lolll..............

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