Please share your advertising ideas!!

[masterkey1970]

One of our best pieces of advertising is business cards. Put them everywhere where there is a business card board in stores, restaurants, gas stations. I even put them on the gas pump by where the receipt comes out when I fuel up. I also do magic tricks so when I give out a card I do a trick with it to make it a little more memorable. When you go into an establishment ask if they every have any of their patrons lock their keys in their vehicle. When they says yes, all the time give them your card or card magnet like I do. It works great for me. You would be surprised how many people lock their keys in their vehicle at a gas pump. Selling ourselves is important. Don't be a stick in the mud, show some personality and be a salesman, not pushy but if an opportunity is there take it. Offer helpful tips and if possible do a little something extra. Everybody likes to thinks they got something for free. For example I re-keyed several doors at a warehouse recently. As the manager went to get a check for me I quickly adjusted a door closer that was closing too fast and letting the door slam shut on the main entrance. She came back as I was folding my 2ft ladder up and was thrilled that I did that free of charge. I also take advantage of any free business listing online. SuperPages, YP.com Yahoo, Yelp, Manta Google+ etc. I also have a webpage through web.com. Even though I am a caveman when it comes to computers, I have done all the work myself to get it ranked at the top of Google, Yahoo and Bing. I would be glad to share my knowledge with anyone that needs help with their web page. I will not shell out hundreds of dollars to have a company do it for me. I also have a blog on the Google hosted blogger.com and a Facebook page. I do not advertise in the Yellow Pages believe it or not. I haven't had to. I sponsor two drag cars in the NHRA youth racing program. They mention my company name every time they race and my company logo is on their cars big and bold. I also sponsor other youth programs such as 4H. The more people see your logo and hear your name throughout your community the more you will be remembered and called. This is how I do it. I hope I have given you all a few ideas that will help.

[masterkey1970]

Putting an ad on Google seems like a good idea in this day an age seeing as how a person will likely search google for a locksmith in their area.

Also, retractable keychain's or lighters. A person will always have their lighter on them and will likely light-up if locked out. The keychain would get used on a daily basis and is more likely noticed by others and by the person with the keys than any kind of lettering on the key.

Google Adsense I think you pay based off of times people click on the link so it seems like the best option. The keychain or lighter could be a 'thank you for your business' option.

I used Google Adsense and a guy called me to unlock his cell phone.

[Froglives]

Advertising is really just having your number where people can find it if they want to, many great suggestions in this post on how to do that. Marketing, on the the other hand is what drives your business, and niche, or specific targeted marketing is the sweet spot.
I love the book series "Gorilla Marketing" and recommend it to anyone new in business, these books will get you thinking about how to find that sweet spot for your profession.
If I was looking at drumming up immediate business as a lock-smith, I would look first at your biggest competitor, and by extension your best friend due to the amount of damage there bad service / advise does to there customers. Home Depot (Or Lowes depending on where you are at). The first suggestion will get you face to face with potential customers that seek you out, the second will be stopped, but can be highly successful before it does. (I built a 1500 customer base using it on drain cleaning products before I got caught)

1. Stand in the lock isle in Depot, wearing your clean professional work uniform that has your name and "lock-smith" on it. There are always more customers than depot clerks, so you are going to get hammered with questions. Answer them honestly, and never offer to do work. Do not be shy about explaining just how difficult some things can be, like properly installing a lock-set. Or what tools are really needed to do a good job. Believe it or not, the depot clerk will appreciate it, and as you get known for your good advise will actualy point customers to you. I make a point to let the depot clerk see me putting stuff back on peg hooks, etc, stuff they hate.

1.1. When they ask you if you are a lock-smith and could you do it, Never Ever be easy to get. Example: I am mostly a plumber by trade, so I would say Yes I am, however I am a private service not available to the general public and already have two many loyal customers, I need more time, not more work. They will push, you will relent, but you give them the Rule. You will only take them as a customer if they respect your time, that means Not giving you out as a referral. They need to save that for family or best friends, as you have both and not enough time for them. Key: Most folks with disposable income, understand a good guy/gal is hard to find, they want one, want to brag they have one, and folks like this don't quibble on price.
Watch for folks buying bad product, for example Defiant Locks, Whoa, excuse me, but that defiant will drive you nuts, they are poorly made, hard to fit, and prone to fail, you are much better off with an inexpensive quick-set or schlage.

2. Going Gorilla, Get cheap address labels for your computer, put your company name, number, and catch phrase on it. (mine on the drain cleaning product was "when this product does not work, or ruins your pipes call me, Drains Cleared from $45) Put this label on the back of Lock-Sets, Maybe something like, If your doors not square and this lock dosent fit, don't return it, call me first.

Buy a Street Map, a big one, showing 10 square miles around your home. Google Property Managers and apartments, you will be amazed at how many there are. Go to the property's and post a great price for lock-outs on the common bulletin board or mail boxes. I get at least ten drunks a month calling me to let them in my rentals, I refer them to our locksmith, or one of there choice. In my area that's $250 on average.
Drunks loose keys, lots of keys, have a referral / spiff program for Waiters, Waitresses, Bar Tenders, Bouncers, Taxi Drivers.

Most Important: When you are starting out, and do not have a sustainable customer base, Do Not Say No based on your convenience, More importantly Do Not Say Yes to a non profitable price, If someone is really to poor to afford my fair rates, I will do it for free, especially for a single mom, a senior, etc. The kind of free advertising you will get from that can be a gold mine.

[hag3l3]

Just a few bold advertising possibilities:
if you sell safes. ... hold a raffle charging 250.00 us at a chance for a free safe. Minimum entries required could be 20. Use the raffle as a fun way to educate the public by offering the public a Chance to lotto on how many times they think it would someone to break into a popular safe everyone sees in the area and you as a professional know it sells a false sense of security.
Just a thought. ....
on to keys...
the absolute best idea I have personally witnessed, is attaching a company logo with a free drop in mailbox tag to return lost keys to your business. Then people who lose keys come to your shop to retrieve them.
just a thought. ....

[MacGnG1]

just saw this thread and thought of one of the lock shops i frequent… they have stickers you put in your car window with their logo, website, phone number, etc... they offer discounted emergency auto lock outs if you call them and have the sticker in your car window.

just a thought… dunno how much business it drums up for them, but it's a neat idea anyways.

[deralian]

Definitely take advantage of free web advertising. Set up as many name hosts as you can get. Might want to but an expansion phone number, one with a local prefix for the area you want to do a lot of work in. People like calling someone who looks local.

[Squelchtone]

Definitely take advantage of free web advertising. Set up as many name hosts as you can get. Might want to but an expansion phone number, one with a local prefix for the area you want to do a lot of work in. People like calling someone who looks local.

But this sounds like the exact thing we hate scammer locksmiths for doing. They'll get WorcesterLocksmith.com and HolyokeLocksmith.com but they're actually in Springfield which is close to but not in those exact cities, then they get a 413-532-xxxx number and a 508-463-xxxx number and put ads in local phonebooks on on the internet and some unknowing customer calls the local Worcester number, expecting a local shop or local mobile service, but gets some guy in Springfield who is 45-60 minutes away, doesn't know the neighbordhoods in Worcester, and I just don't find that fair to the customer.

I think people like calling someone reliable who doesn't work out of the trunk of their Buick. If I were trying to get my name out there and drum up business, I'd spend more money on a nice van, and decals, and well made business cards to hand out.

Squelchtone

[deralian]

Yeah, I would never recommend getting a phone line not in your area. I simply meant get an expansion since most people only have a cell phone now days. Keep your cell number off the net and just have the business line forwarded to it.