The best free newspaper ad
Posted February 27, 2007 16:39 by Hoard Client Systems CEO.
About Hoard Client Systems CEO
Hoard Client Systems CEO's affinity for investing and financial matters began more than 20 years ago when he began investing in the stock market through a class in high school. Now, in 2006, he is being looked to for his innovation in altering the efficiency in which financial professionals communicate with clients.
It costs a lot of money to advertise whether you are using using newspaper ads, direct mail or postcards. You want to make sure it gets read or it's like throwing money in the garbage can. That's why we use your handwriting on our Hoard postcards.
But how do you get a free ad in the newspaper that get read?
No it's not a guest column, though that is a great gig if you can get it. It has just become very difficult to get a column now that everyone is begging the paper to give them one. However, there is a great, free way to get your name, expertise, knowlege and morality featured in the paper once a quarter.
The "letter to the editor". It is the third most read part of the paper, after the obits and sports. It's simple, easy and carries a big stick. It will not get you immediate business but I cannot tell you how many times people will tell me, when they are signing paperwork, that they saw my letter to the editor and liked it. And my best referring clients are also the clients that will call me to comment on my letter to the editor.
When I recommend using "letters to the editor" to advisers they always ask, "But what do I write?"
Simply, pick a topic that will allow you to advocate for your target market. If your target market is Seniors then advocate changes in Medicare or Social Security in the letter. If your target market is college funding then talk about the inequities of how college is being funded by government. If your target market is home loans, comment about the dangers of loans and the direction of interest rates.
Always be looking and listening to the news for an opportunity or topic to comment on in the "letter to the editor." Send them about every 3 or 4 months. Any more and the paper may get annoyed. If your first letter doesn't get accepted don't worry about it, about 1/2 of mine are accepted in a large city newspaper. It just depends on what's going on in the news and how much it is stirring up opinions. Still, 50% placement of free "ads" that trumpet your expertise, authority and advocacy for you target market, that's worth 20 minutes writing a quick "letter to the editor" isn't it?
Discuss
Comments
504 days ago Peter J wrote:
I write a letter to the editor once a month in my home town and receive many phone calls and comments because of them. Thanks for the tip and you are right on the money. Time well spent!!
496 days ago Peter F. wrote:
Great idea. Once every three months would be great anyway - people might catch on if I do it every month. This might even be a good way to get referrals if my existing clients see it and refer a friend to me. I'll give it a try. Thanks.
428 days ago Craig wrote:
Since this is more "personal" than business to write a letter to the editor, do you think it needs to go through compliance?
530 days ago M.D. Fraser wrote:
Hi, I think this is an interesting way of getting into the paper, but as you said you can only do this about every 3 to 4 months...mainly due to the fact that many papers only allow your "letters to the Editor" to be printed once every 3 months from the same individual. I also think with a little hard work and persistence that mostly anybody could get an article or two in to the paper's business section at least once every quarter. This way you could make a copy of it and send it out with any marketing campaigns. I hope this helps, M.D.