Lawn Signs + Domains = Profits

stone2020 · Nov 7, 2008

Check out this article on how somebody used guerilla marketing, signs, and domains names to make some money.

http://themetricsystem.rjmetrics.com/2008/11/06/single-lawn-signs-conquer-the-american-landscape/

snoopinc · Nov 7, 2008

Thanks for that article. This has now got me inspired to start making my own lawn signs and start placing them around my suburb.

Seabass · Nov 7, 2008

That is one of the most interesting business articles I have ever read.

He made $45 million? That is just insane. It just goes to show what clever thinking can accomplish.

GF · Nov 7, 2008

These signs are all over Orange County, CA also - great article, I had always wondered who was behind those.

-REECE- · Nov 7, 2008

I wonder how many people are going to read the article and do the same thing.

snoopinc said:
Thanks for that article. This has now got me inspired to start making my own lawn signs and start placing them around my suburb.

Compassion · Nov 7, 2008

Oh darnit it guys, I just posted the slashdot on this

http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/11/06/1930218.shtml

Rudy · Nov 7, 2008

Seabass said:
That is one of the most interesting business articles I have ever read.

Me too! Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading it. Makes me wonder how many towns are taken in the domain industry...

fuzzlepop · Nov 7, 2008

I've thought about setting a forum up for a town, got the name and this seems like a good way to promote it in the area.

Compassion · Nov 7, 2008

That dude spent a lot of time conducting this thorough investigation. What a blessing the Internet is for the people.

We can do the research required to answer questions so much more efficiently than any generation before us could do.

Very enjoyable read. I like the second comment "Dude - future career in private investigation?" and "Upton Sinclair of Lawn signs"

Chef Patrick · Nov 7, 2008

Guys these really work. They are called "Bandit Signs", I have used them for years in the real estate industry. They are a great way to drive traffic to your site and sell almost any product you can think of.

Do not be afraid to step out of the net and advertise on paper. A lot of cities have local flyers that are very cheap to advertise on, you really will be surprised with the results.

Compassion · Nov 7, 2008

Chef Patrick said:
Guys these really work. They are called "Bandit Signs", I have used them for years in the real estate industry. They are a great way to drive traffic to your site and sell almost any product you can think of.

Do not be afraid to step out of the net and advertise on paper. A lot of cities have local flyers that are very cheap to advertise on, you really will be surprised with the results.

Nice info Chef,

They must be effective. This is something I will look into.

Chef Patrick · Nov 7, 2008

tight-aggressive said:
Nice info Chef,

They must be effective. This is something I will look into.

Just a few tips, I think putting out 50 on a Friday late afternoon is going to be your best bet. Code enforcement which are the local officials that govern such a thing normally take these signs down between Monday and Friday early.

I say put them up Friday afternoon because the agency employees are off the streets and getting ready to wrap up there week. Majority of the city workers are off during the weekend. This will give you the highest exposure for your signs before they are taken down.

Another tip is to bring a step latter and hammer stapler. The higher you put them the harder and less likely they will be taken down.

One thing you must know, they will be taken down!!! It is just a matter of time. So these low cost ads are something that you must know will be thrown away. But they are cheap, I can buy them locally for less than $0.90 sign and stand.

Oh and I'm sorry, the other thing you must know, these are ILLEGAL in most US Cities, I cannot speak for outside of the US. The best way around this is if they can't find you they can't fine you. Make sure your domain name is privately reg'd and you put no telephone number that can lead back to your name.

Hmmm this would make a good blog post....coming soon

-REECE- · Nov 7, 2008

Thanks for sharing your experience Patrick, looking forward to that blog post

Chef Patrick said:
Just a few tips, I think putting out 50 on a Friday late afternoon is going to be your best bet. Code enforcement which are the local officials that govern such a thing normally take these signs down between Monday and Friday early.

I say put them up Friday afternoon because the agency employees are off the streets and getting ready to wrap up there week. Majority of the city workers are off during the weekend. This will give you the highest exposure for your signs before they are taken down.

Another tip is to bring a step latter and hammer stapler. The higher you put them the harder and less likely they will be taken down.

One thing you must know, they will be taken down!!! It is just a matter of time. So these low cost ads are something that you must know will be thrown away. But they are cheap, I can buy them locally for less than $0.90 sign and stand.

Oh and I'm sorry, the other thing you must know, these are ILLEGAL in most US Cities, I cannot speak for outside of the US. The best way around this is if they can't find you they can't fine you. Make sure your domain name is privately reg'd and you put no telephone number that can lead back to your name.

Hmmm this would make a good blog post....coming soon

Ross · Nov 7, 2008

Have used business cards placed in unique places, books, and mags for a viral marketing campaign for a site before. EXTREMELY successful.

footodors · Nov 7, 2008

Great!
Spam is now hitting street corners.
Hope those people get sued for those trashy signs!

Compassion · Nov 7, 2008

footodors said:
Great!
Spam is now hitting street corners.
Hope those people get sued for those trashy signs!

I'd say their scheme was more clever than this. We don't need more frivolous lawsuits. My most recent jury duty call was for an extremely apparent frivolous lawsuit. It only cost about 100 Californians our day to listen to the case and perhaps be narrowed to the final 12. The day for us, the judge, employees - and of course the lawyers - all gone.

I imagine Right One media has researched the best way to do what they are doing - and if they have been/will be fined, it seems there are plenty of reserves to pay off the fines.

buckshotdots · Nov 7, 2008

Pretty interesting read...I have wondered from time to time about 'bang for their buck' with these campaigns. I have noticed them at major intersections in Vancouver as well (not from this company).
--------------------------------

Does Yard Sign Marketing Work?

Remember when I said that certain dating businesses can print money? This is one of them. A 2006 press release reveals that the company was then bringing in about $45 Million of revenue a year. I also found an unverified claim from a disgruntled ex-employee on ripoffreport.com that claims the company charges their customers from $3,000 to over $15,000 for their matchmaking services.

At those prices, the economics of the yard sign strategy start to make sense. Yard signs like those cost about $1 apiece to print and if franchise office has a slow day they can send out their extra “relationships experts” to plant lawn signs within a 50-mile radius. One successful new lead can bankroll thousands of new signs. ------------

Thanks for posting!

Pred · Nov 7, 2008

great link, thanks o/p
repped

Michael · Nov 7, 2008

Fascinating article. These signs are all over Maryland, I was always a little curious about who was behind this.

Cronus · Nov 7, 2008

Chef Patrick said:
Oh and I'm sorry, the other thing you must know, these are ILLEGAL in most US Cities, I cannot speak for outside of the US. The best way around this is if they can't find you they can't fine you. Make sure your domain name is privately reg'd and you put no telephone number that can lead back to your name.

Yeah, but if you're making a few bucks, who cares that it is illegal defacement of public and private property, and that we taxpayers have to pay for full time staff to clean up your mess? Right? You're technique for placing signs high on poles so it is harder for the property owners and neighbors to take them down is really clever!

It is bad enough that you participate in this (even acknowledged by you) petty-criminal behavior which blights our neighborhoods, but then you even go online and BRAG about it?

Sorry if I sound sensitive, but I'm part of a neighborhood volunteer group (like this one) which works to clean up this illegal blight. We'll spend hours cleaning the streets, and then some idiot like you with a get-rich-quick or MLM scheme will go around and dump a hundred more signs. They may only cost you 90 cents each, but that's because you don't pay the cost of cleaning them up. Are you not smart or competent enough to find a job where you make money doing something productive in society, instead of being one of the street vandal leeches costing us all time and money? Imagine if everyone acted this way.

I'll probably get flamed by all the profit-at-any-cost and screw-the-moral-high-ground folks, but I had to say something.

Chef Patrick · Nov 8, 2008

Cronus said:
Yeah, but if you're making a few bucks, who cares that it is illegal defacement of public and private property, and that we taxpayers have to pay for full time staff to clean up your mess? Right? You're technique for placing signs high on poles so it is harder for the property owners and neighbors to take them down is really clever!

It is bad enough that you participate in this (even acknowledged by you) petty-criminal behavior which blights our neighborhoods, but then you even go online and BRAG about it?

Sorry if I sound sensitive, but I'm part of a neighborhood volunteer group (like this one) which works to clean up this illegal blight. We'll spend hours cleaning the streets, and then some idiot like you with a get-rich-quick or MLM scheme will go around and dump a hundred more signs. They may only cost you 90 cents each, but that's because you don't pay the cost of cleaning them up. Are you not smart or competent enough to find a job where you make money doing something productive in society, instead of being one of the street vandal leeches costing us all time and money? Imagine if everyone acted this way.

I'll probably get flamed by all the profit-at-any-cost and screw-the-moral-high-ground folks, but I had to say something.

You make very valid points and you have the right to your own opinions. I personally no longer do this, not because I do not want to but because I have sold my real estate companies and have retired. I do not have the need to place these signs up anymore. Honestly though, bandit signs have made me a lot of money.

Also take into consideration this, I said that these signs are illegal in MOST US cities. That does not mean I posted in those illegal cities. In fact the county I posted in did not have any ordinance banning bandit signs.

One thing that I would never do is put a sign on someones property. I would never go on a property with a house and just plop a sign. Majority of the electrical and light polls are on city property.

So no, you will not get flamed by me for having an opinion, I think it's a great thing. Personally I hate seeing bandit signs on every street corner. But it works and have learned to live with it at this point.

GF · Nov 8, 2008

It's really easy to find out a city's sign ordinances. Usually it's OK to have them on public property so long as they are taken down by a certain time.

Put them up on Friday night near freeway off-ramps, and take them down on Sunday. You'll have each sign seen by hundreds of people, and you'll be ethical.

I have advertised tons of stuff with these signs. I recommend Bandit Signs also, they are who I buy mine from.

- G

Cronus · Nov 8, 2008

If the city gives permission/permit to put up a certain sign at a certain time and place, I have no problem with that. My concern is with the people who don't follow regulations and illegally plaster my neighborhood with this spam, which residents or the city have to spend time and money cleaning up. Particularly since they are normally scams (usually make-money-fast, multi-level-marketing, real-estate/foreclosure, or dating related) since legitimate companies can't get away so easily with the illegal signs. The dating company mentioned in this article is one of the worst offenders around here (and apparently just about everywhere).

Chef Patrick · Nov 8, 2008

Cronus said:
Particularly since they are normally scams (usually make-money-fast, multi-level-marketing, real-estate/foreclosure, or dating related) since legitimate companies can't get away so easily with the illegal signs. The dating company mentioned in this article is one of the worst offenders around here (and apparently just about everywhere).

I do not run a dating company but how can dating be a SCAM? Or real estate a SCAM? I'm ok with you having an opinion but it also has to be somewhat factual.

Real estate signs are usually to sell a house, buy houses or help people with foreclosures. I'm sorry but I ran an extremely successful real estate company and bandit signs were an important part of my advertising campaign. If I put out a sign that said we buy houses cash I would pay 100% cash for that house. Would you be calling me a SCAMMER?

Even money making schemes, really if you are so against bandit signs you must hate infomercials!!! Either tv or the bandit sign the public can either look or not look.

Just think, if people didn't put up these signs then someone at code enformcment who takes the signs down, would be out of a job. So although not the best thing in the world it keeps jobs going :]

theuniverse · Nov 8, 2008

good article and good equation Lawn Signs + Domains = Profits

Lawn Signs + Domains = Profits

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