Effective advertising is crucial to the success of any auction. The key is to catch the attention of the auction going public by letting them know that we have merchandise they will be interested in, and to do so efficiently and cost effectively.
This
web site is one aspect of that advertising program. The Auction
Listings page provides a great opportunity to list
in detail what will be for sale in upcoming auctions, and most importantly
the opportunity
to post pictures of selected items. We have had a huge favorable
response to our site, and it receives thousands of "hits"
every month.
Another
aspect of our advertising program is our e-mail list, consisting
of hundreds of people who have asked us to notify them of upcoming
auctions. This is particularly useful, as we can provide detailed
advertising to people who are already interested, and at no cost
to our sellers! To be added to our e-mail list, please e-mail Mark
at mark@mvhauctioneer.com
Each
of our auctions is advertised in the Sunday classified section of
the Columbus Dispatch. We keep these ads fairly short, as they are
quite expensive. The detailed Dispatch advertising is indispensable,
however; it is the single most consulted source of information for
regular auction goers in central Ohio. We choose to run regular
column ads rather than display ads because the column ads appear,
in searchable form, online at the Columbus
Dispatch web site, whereas display ads do not.
In
order to reach a broader geographical audience, we often also run
print advertising in Antique Week. This publication reaches antique
collectors and dealers throughout the Midwest and the entire United
States. These ads can also be accessed on-line at Antique
Week's web site.
Each
of our auctions is also listed on the National
Association of Auctioneers web site. This site allows
users to search for auctions all over the country by date, key words,
auctioneer, location,
and other criteria.
We also print several hundred flyers for each of our auctions. These flyers are distributed at our other auctions, and at the auctions of several other local auctioneers with whom Mark works. Flyers are also posted and left at several antiques shops, malls, and shows in the area. To see an example of our flyers, go here.
On
occasion a particular auction may require additional marketing,
including mailing to the general auction-going public, mailing targeted
to specific industries or interest groups, telemarketing, advertising
in other trade publications, and other outlets. All of this is part
of our comprehensive auction marketing service.
Copyright (c) 2001 Mark Van Hook
mark@mvhauctioneer.com