Marketing ideas

[skippers]

Hi

I'm after some inspiration for marketing ideas for my father's home loans company. Is this the website to be for that or can anyone recommend any sites?


Many thanks

[Laura Lynne]

Not quite sure what you mean by marketing ideas?

[skippers]

Ideas to promote the company to get people to use them for a mortgage.

[tommylogic]

If you wanted ideas that relate to design or web then this would be the correct place.
What is your role with the company? Do you design or what do you do?
How does most of his clients find him now?
How do you currently advertise?
Are you looking to advertise more? online? brochures? direct mailing? (those are forms of advertising)
Do you have any examples of his current branding solutions?

[skippers]

I'm a graphic designer and do the occasional freelance work. My father's company has this website which needs a redesign and SEO work: insurance and mortgages products.

Most of his clients find him at the moment through recommendations and word of mouth. He's looking for more people to either come into the office or call. There isn't any advertising at the moment due to finances so looking for a cheap way to promote. He's going to have a white van printed on and park it where it's going to be seen a lot.
I need to come up with some kind of campaign and strap line possibly giving the personal approach of "I can help you with your mortgage" rather than "The company can help" and "save 25% off your mortgage fees".

[Toon]

Search Engine Optimization is the best form of cheap advertising available. If you are going to re-design the site, be sure it's set to web standards, using the correct H tags and try and build incoming links to the site for the keywords you need to rank for

[tommylogic]

Originally Posted by skippers

... looking for a cheap way to promote..

agreed with what Toon says. You could do it yourself if you want to save money & have the skills.
Generally speaking, marketing means advertising & that costs money. The company should have some sort of budget allowance for this. Otherwise word of mouth is the best (and only) option.

If you want to get into event planning, you could get together with a local charitable organization and have a fund raiser of sorts on their behalf. Involve the community and bring it together with their children.

That's a "one-shot" deal, but will stick in people's minds. Be ready to back that up with other marketing ploys as reinforcement. That could be as simple as a visual display with business cards. Those could go up in any of the charity locations on their reception desk or in local businesses who supported you in your charity drive. Get your name out there.. EVERYWHERE .. that you are the "good guys" not the greedy banker.

[Cwilk]

Marketing ideas are a key to any company and coming up with the idea is the most difficult.

Since your father works with money, why not buy a bunch of shredded money (they do sell shredded money, believe it or not). Take some photos of it and then take it apart so that it fits into an envelope. Next you need to have a canned letter that can be sent out through a mailing list (you'll have to purchase this too). The letter should talk about how the client won't be throwing away their money with your father's company.

Because the money is real (and shredded) it really makes people think about what they're doing with it. Especially after reading a creative letter that introduces your father's company.

Sure you'll spend a little money at first, but you really do have to spend money to make money. Your rate of return in mailings is usually anywhere from 15% to 20%.

Fundraising (per Tommy) is also a great way to get advertising. Sponsor an event, donate money, or put on your own event.

Another marketing strategy is to talk with realtors and team up with several when they have an open house.

[flick]

Originally Posted by Cwilk

Marketing ideas are a key to any company and coming up with the idea is the most difficult.

Since your father works with money, why not buy a bunch of shredded money (they do sell shredded money, believe it or not). Take some photos of it and then take it apart so that it fits into an envelope. Next you need to have a canned letter that can be sent out through a mailing list (you'll have to purchase this too). The letter should talk about how the client won't be throwing away their money with your father's company.

Because the money is real (and shredded) it really makes people think about what they're doing with it. Especially after reading a creative letter that introduces your father's company.

Sure you'll spend a little money at first, but you really do have to spend money to make money. Your rate of return in mailings is usually anywhere from 15% to 20%.

Fundraising (per Tommy) is also a great way to get advertising. Sponsor an event, donate money, or put on your own event.

Another marketing strategy is to talk with realtors and team up with several when they have an open house.

my god, that's a brilliant idea, just off the top of your head?
the shreaded money, is it not just fake notes that look real? or is that illegal? lol