Forum

For you've ever had to purchase advertising you won't need me to tell you how difficult it is to choose the right medium at the right price.

When I started my business, and for many years after, I had little alternative but to either purchase a directory listing or advertise in a local paper. I also trialled local radio on two occasions and also advertised in glossy consumer magazines on several occasions over the years.

I have to say, hand on heart, that it wasn't possible to adequately gauge how effective this kind of advertising was based on expenditure.

Out of all the advertising we tried, the local free paper and the Thompson Local got us the most work.

I found you in Yellow Pages

(I bet Thompson were annoyed at how this always seemed to happen) Yellow pages was such a strong brand prior to the internet that it was so common for a client to tell us they'd got our details from the big yellow book, even though they had, in fact, found us in the Thompson Local or local paper. That's how valuable brand strength and brand awareness is.

A trade magazine wasn't a viable option as we needed to target the consumer.

Every advertising review came with a dilemma. Should we finance a full page, go for a half-page to stand out, or just take a small block and compete with the other businesses?

A full page each month was a serious investment and. like everyone, we had to spend our budget wisely and make sure it produced the best returns. Even though I wasn't a fan of Yellow Pages my company still allocated an annual budget of over £4,000; we maintained this for several years. Thompson Local annual budget was £2,400.

Tempted by a cold call

I've lost count of the times I took a call from a sales rep on a glossy magazine asking if we's like to take an advert with editorial. It was tempting and we did succumb several times but it was a expensive painful experience and left little to show.

But of course print also has its limitations. Once printed and delivered a paper or magazine cannot be corrected, altered or updated. Also, depending on the frequency of publishing news can be as much as one month out of date.

And then there's not knowing how many people may have read a printed advert. What's more, once written, any editorial is only useful in the future if it is stored in a bookshelf. Even then its reach is limited. There's no stickability.

Many publications are simply trashed a short while after they've been read.

Hold the front page...stay in full control

Just thinking back to those days. What if I, on the very day a magazine was to hit the news stands, could have halted the publication and inserted - effectively free of charge - my own unlimited editorial, as well as my contact details together with examples of my work?

In addition....what if, even after a magazine has been delivered, insert further editorial, and comment; photos and a short film?

What if I could do all of those things ad infinitum, day-after-day, month-after-month and year-after-year, at no extra cost?

What if I could do all this without - within reason - any interference from the publisher and without paying any extra for the privileged?

That's where LJN comes in

I'm sure you've already sussed what I'm getting at?

All of what I have described is possible - in fact it's been happening for over five years now - on LJN.

Every bit of content on the site has the potential to be indexed and retrieved: not just within minutes, hours or even days after publication, but for months and years. Imagine a vast searchable library at your finger tips?

What is more, the author of the content can access every piece, at any time, and edit, add, correct and promote it.

LJN is everyone's local advertising medium

Whether you are a landscaping or garden maintenance company; whether you are local or nationwide, LJN lets you reach your audience and potential client through its powerful SEO and careful optimisation.

Well written content with the right localised keywords has the potential to reach a any client, in any location, who searches online looking for specific products or services. If you've written then it can be found.

Bridging the trade consumer divide

If you choose LJN as your medium of choice you have a unique opportunity of accessing wither consumer or trade..or both if your own business crosses over.

Anyone, or business, with a Premium Supplier account - £80.00 a year - can dip in for a few minutes several times a day; answer questions; post discussions; add product and service information. At the same time creating brand awareness and generally raising their business profile.

Over 3.6 million visitors and counting

Landscape Juice has now received over 3.6 million visitors who have read in excess of over 12 million pages.

24 hours a day

Every website has its busy and quiet periods each day but, unlike a magazine, there's the potential for large numbers of readers to be on site, 24 hours a day. For example, between 12.00-1.00am this morning, there were 40 visitors on the site.

Not just an advertising platform

Of course LJN isn't just for publicity.....it's not even its primary role. A strong forum with five year's worth of valuable technical and practical information coupled with review, opinion, friendship, solidarity and support. LJN is a major business too with nearly 9,000 forum topics alone.

*All for £40.00 (11p a day) or £80.00 (22p a day) a year respectively - Make the most of LJNs full range of tools or if you prefer, become a supporter - (upgrade to Premium here)