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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder whether you would pay £1000 + to advertise on Mumsnet for a couple of weeks?

58 replies

NomadsLand · 17/05/2012 20:01

Do you actually pay attention to the advertisements? I'm seriously considering advertising my business on Mumsnet but I'm wondering whether it's worth the cost when our 2-woman start-up company is struggling with cash-flow.

Pls advise me, oh wise women!

OP posts:
DarrellRivers · 17/05/2012 20:03

I notice the holidays stuff usually

pinkpyjamas · 17/05/2012 20:07

It depends on whether your target market is truly the demographic represented by MNers, and you want country-wide (or even international) clients, or whether you'd be better served investing the money to market locally.

£1000 is a lot of dosh.

It also depends if you believe there are a lot of MNers, or just six MNers with LOTS of namechanges. Wink

LivingInASieve · 17/05/2012 20:09

There are ads on mumsnet?

I have Adblocker so I don't even see them, sorry.

Softlysoftly · 17/05/2012 20:11

Depends on the business, you may be better putting the money into SEO or some strong press.

WhiteTrash · 17/05/2012 20:13

I do notice some yes. Some catch my eye, some dont.

Softlysoftly · 17/05/2012 20:16

Also MNHQ should be able to give you case studies of similar campaigns, their click through and conversion rates which should be more reliable than asking randomly. Finally depends on your ad, a call to action/offer or an awareness builder?

Tugboat · 17/05/2012 20:19

I never pay any attention to the ads, I wouldn't use the money for SEO either!!

ChaoticismyLife · 17/05/2012 20:19

I notice some but not others. I did misread one once as offering 'kids for sale' BlushGrin

Doilooklikeatourist · 17/05/2012 20:20

Never look at the ads .

CMOTDibbler · 17/05/2012 20:21

Why not spend £30 in the small business section ?
But depends on your business really

Original poster
NomadsLand · 17/05/2012 20:23

We've been trying to get press. I won't try to advertise on the sly (unless you insist!) but trying to get coverage for a start-up company is not easy. We paid one PR company over 20k and they achieved nothing for us apart from sour feelings. We're a Made in Britain company and we thought after Mary Portas' programme, (same sort of industry) everyone would want a piece of us but that has not been the case at all.
I've been on Mumsnet for a few years and I have to admit that I never really noticed the ads until I started looking at investing in them.

Hmmm.....would love your opinions. Actually, do you even know that companies pay thousands to appear alongside this fab forum?

OP posts:
peggyblackett · 17/05/2012 20:25

I notice the ads if that helps :)?

AmazingBouncingFerret · 17/05/2012 20:25

The only one I actually noticed was that one with the annoying waving child in it.

Can't remember what it was for though..

So if you do make it as annoying as possible and I may just glance at it! Wink

cabbagesoup · 17/05/2012 20:27

Personally I would say your investing lots into passive advertising, relying on people clicking and then taking up your offer / service / products - it depends on whether £1000 is lots of money percentage wise for your marketing spend?

If your a small growing business I'd stick with the free sources - twitter / facebook all increase your SEO online and are well rewarded, linkedin drives business, networking via your local chamber of commerce, spend a little on car wraps / van wraps, spread your spend and measure the returns from each touch, spending on Direct Mail is great as well it's really on the up outstripped internet spend last year and easy to measure as you can give an offer code, leaflets don't cost much to produce and you can mail them locally or buy postcode areas to mail to, word of mouth and hold an event, launch your product & service to friends, neighbours!! See if you have a local PR firm who you can work with to help you get in the local press, some will do a press release for £150/200 so you could have a 6 month campaign locally in effect for the same money. And they will know how to write it and get in front of magazines & newspapers. Place some ads in tescos / trains station high volume footfall places.

I would then say once you've exhaused all of those active targeted marketing approaches then try some passive ads.

The people who have ads on mumsnet are more your brand awarness business where we all know the brand but they are pushing an offer, so again they will be adding value to their brands not relying on that one source.

sorry - got carried away!! had too many Wine

orienteerer · 17/05/2012 20:27

Never look at ads

PinkChampagneandStrawberries · 17/05/2012 20:28

I mostly post from my phone or Ipad so I don't see them sorry

Original poster
NomadsLand · 17/05/2012 20:29

Hmmmm, don't know if I can get our models to wave retro-actively from our recent photo-shoot!

I do think annoying ads work though. Choo-choo-choo, come on and join the train line....

Maybe we need a song! Or a Meercat toy Smile

OP posts:
RatDesPaquerettes · 17/05/2012 20:29

I never look at ads either.

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 17/05/2012 20:33

I've clicked through a few ads, but they tend to be clothing ones (and only those offering a big discount!)

I've also read a few threads on the small business thread and some people seem to use them very effectively (I'll definitely be buying will writing services of mumblechum when I finally get round to doing one!)

Um, in other words, I think it depends on what your business does.

BTW, £20k for PR seems like a hell of a lot for a start up. You could employ a part time PR officer for that. Or go on a MUCH cheaper course about doing your own PR. I used to work in PR so if you want to PM me more info about your company I might be able to give you some contacts.

Tugboat · 17/05/2012 20:33

20k and they did nothing Shock ? Ooooh yes a soong!! I have been trying to think of one to advertise my glazing company but ive come up with some rather shit ones!

FeakAndWeeble · 17/05/2012 20:34

I hate them. Hate them. And I am the sort of nasty, bitter person who, if the same ad keeps catching my eye and annoying me, will make it my mission to never shop there.

However, I do love a nice advert in the paper. I will read adverts in the paper. I just don't like them boinging along next to me online

Original poster
NomadsLand · 17/05/2012 20:36

Go compare! Go compare!

Sorry to put that, and meerkats, and train line into your thoughts.....

OP posts:
Original poster
NomadsLand · 17/05/2012 20:37

Thanks "A-Truth" - will do!

OP posts:
afussyphase · 17/05/2012 20:37

What about google ads? I never look at the ads on here although I'm on here a lot; I just cannot stand ads that are moving/ visually distracting so I use ad block.

FeakAndWeeble · 17/05/2012 20:37

tugboat you know that 'glazing' rhymes with 'amazing' - you could do anything with that!

'Go to tugboat for your glazing,
our prices are amazing,
we do windows, we do doors, we do coservatories,
it's amazing double glazing and your quote's for free'

I have no idea if any of that is true. But it rhymes!!