Discuss the fun task of marketing a t-shirt shop. Where to advertise, local marketing tips, word of mouth, press releases, search engine marketing, keyword advertising, magazines, etc.
We recently opened a full service screen printing business in Carlisle PA.
We have taken out an ad in the yellow pages, put a professional sign out front of the shop and have designed a initial website.
My question is what is the most cost/time effective way to gain exposure in the local market?
Would cold calling on the telephone or in person be more effective?
What industry or service group purchases the most t-shirts?
Our shop is located on my property so we have the advantage of under pricing most of the shops in the area. My partner has 15 years as a graphic designer and produces excellent artwork.
Which bullet would you lead with price or quality?
Any advice anyone can give on marketing a start up screen printing business would be greatly appreciated.
I would say quality beats price any day! If you have a quality product AND you are able to beat the competition’s prices, you are definitely in business!
On to the marketing…Schools, schools, and more schools! With the schools (especially colleges), they probably already have a local source that they are loyal to, but if you can show them quality at a better price, I’m sure they would jump on board. Also try local restaurants (mom & pop shops). Offer big discounts since you can under price the competition.
Again, if you have quality AND can offer a better price, the war is over!
I would print up some samples and give them to them. Show them how good your quality is, and quote them prices that you know the competition can’t beat. You will have so much business you just might HAVE to find a bigger shop!
Lots of people still use the yellow pages to find local businesses. It's good to have some sort of presence there.
Getting listed in Google/Yahoo locally is also a good idea though! Any other local online resources/communities you can find might be a good place to hit as well.
OK...I'll bite. When is the last time you used a phone book to look something up? Be honest now. Everyone I know hasn't touched one for years.
Spend the same amount of money on local Google and Yahoo listings as the Yellow page ad. I'll bet you the leads through the Internet come in better than 30 to 1!
BTW - which Yellow pages would you suggest? In LA there's 4 different Yellow Pages. Most places have at least two different competing Yellow Pages.
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CoolHandLuke - TeeRAVEL
Ok I am listed on Yahoo, msn, and google. There is only one yellow pages (Verizon) I also have the business listed with their online yellow pages. It cost me a total of $44 a month.
When approaching the schools who do I ask to speak with? Or would it be better to attend a school board meeting?
Ok I am listed on Yahoo, msn, and google. There is only one yellow pages (Verizon) I also have the business listed with their online yellow pages. It cost me a total of $44 a month.
When approaching the schools who do I ask to speak with? Or would it be better to attend a school board meeting?
Do a local Google search for screen printing in Carlisle PA. That's where most of the unsecured business is going.
As for schools, ask for purchasing and they will usually tell you exactly how they work and what you need to do. It also dosen't hurt to get in w/ the athletic department. Also Little League, town Soccer leagues, etc.
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CoolHandLuke - TeeRAVEL
I definitely think you have it 100% backwards - it's more like 1 in 30 dependent on the internet.
While it's true that I much, much prefer to do business with a company that has a good website unless I don't have a choice, that's not yet the norm. Most businesses in the yellow pages don't even have websites, and there are a lot more businesses in the pages than there are web businesses not in it.
For end-product printed t-shirts there is a large web presence, but for trades (such as screenprinting services) it's still an off-line world.
If I was looking for a screenprinter I too would look to the yellow pages, because I know not many of them can be found online. That does mean having a website gives you an edge, but one would ignore the real world at their peril.
OK… I just went through our data base since the beginning of the year and looked at the lead source for every new job and the dollar amount of the job. Granted, we don’t get a lead source for every job, so I even threw all those into the “phone book” category.
Also keep in mind… for our print shop website, we only market it locally on the Internet. Also, we only have a tiny ad in one of the Yellow pages, and I’m assuming that’s Pacific Bell. So… after all this, if you want to make the argument; a bigger phone book ad would equal more leads… I’m still going to disagree!
Here’s the deal… 67 new clients, 13 were referrals, 11 are considered “phone book” (but only 3 are marked as true “phone book” sources), and 43 from the Internet. So I was a little off on the 1 out of 30. Take the total gross, referrals made up 28%, “phone book” 4%, and the Internet was 68%.
Not only does the Internet bring us more business… but better business! I just looked through the true phone book source leads and all expect for one is at our minimum order amount.
Maybe this is unique in my area and more people search online than use the phone book in WLA? I think the older you are, probably the greater chance you’re going to pick up a phone book? I’m not that young… so this is interesting to me.
I guess where I live there are probably more homes wired for the Internet. My friends will Google at my kitchen counter before they’ll ever ask me for a phone book… of which I have about 90 sitting in the garage.
So I admit I’m off as far as a national average, but right on for my area… which is really all I know.
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CoolHandLuke - TeeRAVEL
I definitely think you have it 100% backwards - it's more like 1 in 30 dependent on the internet.
While it's true that I much, much prefer to do business with a company that has a good website unless I don't have a choice, that's not yet the norm. Most businesses in the yellow pages don't even have websites, and there are a lot more businesses in the pages than there are web businesses not in it.
For end-product printed t-shirts there is a large web presence, but for trades (such as screenprinting services) it's still an off-line world.
If I was looking for a screenprinter I too would look to the yellow pages, because I know not many of them can be found online. That does mean having a website gives you an edge, but one would ignore the real world at their peril.
I'm not talking about having a website, that has nothing to do w/ local Internet advertising.
If I do a LOCAL Google search in LA for screen printing... over 80 percent do not have a website. You DO NOT need a website to advertsing locally on Yahoo or Google. I'm not talking about getting found in the natural search engine results. ONLY the local listings through search.
Now I'm begining to see why you guys are using the phone book!
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CoolHandLuke - TeeRAVEL
I was in the service business for many years and I can attest that when a machine breaks, the local yellow pages is where they go. If it is an answering machine that takes the call... its on to the next one. Now that is for service. I suspect that the lines can be drawn in the sand fairly close to each other for other types of local businesses. The younger generation is more adept to online searching but the customer (whatever age) will actually take the path of least resistance and if picking up the yellow pages for a finite list of local businesses and see the street address immediately then that is what will happen. I really have a foul taste for the yellow pages sales proceedures, but even just getting a one line listing will pay off. So a customer hasn't ordered for 2 years from you and can't remember your name. The pages can jog their memory. Exposure is exposure. I don't think one would need to have the biggest and fanciest ad in the yellow pages but the results can be analyzed and adjusted accordingly later on. Also the yellow pages will give your business credibility.
Marketing a start up 
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