Advertising
Over these past few months, RuffleButts has ventured out into the world of print advertising, and wow is it pricey!! This has proven to be such a tough decision-making process for me, because you pretty much have to spend the money upfront to figure out what really works for your company. A few months back we decided to take the leap and signed on for two advertising campaigns, one in Cookie Magazine and the other in Baby Couture Magazine, from what I found two of the more affordable options for us...and when I say affordable, I do not mean cheap!! And for a frugal gal like me, let's just say this one was a tough one for me to swallow! Prior to these campaigns, we were so very fortunate, to spend not a dime on print advertising, so this was a big step.
With the recent changes in the economy, it is such a unfair time to judge the results of these campaigns, as everyone is seeing a slow-down, advertising or no advertising. We are definitely seeing some results from these ads, but not quite what I had hoped for. I am telling myself to be patient and let it run for more than one month, but when it is your business, your baby, and your investment, patience is not as easy to come by!
I have had a few other business owners recently ask me for my suggestions when it comes to advertising, and although I have shared a few of the less expensive investments we have made over the past year, I would hate to be responsible for a larger print recommendation with little data to go on. It comes down to return on investment, and although a $25 ad may be much easier to swallow, if no one sees it, it is a $25 waste.
I am learning that you can have the most fabulous product in the world (although I may be a bit bias), but if no one knows about them, it does no good. I am learning as I go, and have found that if us business owners stick together and share our marketing successes, we can all learn from each other and help to save on those "learning experiences". One recent discovery I have made is www.iBookersGuide.com. Gemma recently launched this website after many years in the business and from what I have seen so far, she really seems to have the best interests of others at heart. I have recently joined the site, and recommend that you do the same if you are in the children's products business. I know we are all a little overwhelmed with social networking sites, but so far, I have found this one well worth my time spent.