SAAFE forum
General Category => Questions and Answers => Topic started by: cecilia.chic on 23 October 2008, 10:03:59 pm
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Hi again,
I know most of you girls are half a world away from me in Canada but I wondered whether you're doing most of your advertising on the web or whether you do any print ads.
I'm debating whether to place an ad in a local paper with a large adult classified or whether I should put that money into developing a really good website to link to my internet ads.
Does anyone have anything to say on this?
Thanks!
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I put an ad in the local paper once. I had to talk to far too many people and I didn't get a single booking, now I don't even put my phone number on full-page online listings, everyone has to go to my website!
People say you get a better standard of client from websites, and it's certainly less hassle.
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Thanks Anika,
So do you do most of your bookings by email?
In Canada the only legal way to do a booking is over the phone, I'm still a little nervous about email. How is it in the U.K?
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No, I use the phone, but I only publish my number on my own website. That way they should have the most up-to-date details before they call.
That's weird about not being able to conduct business by email. What's the reason?
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The way it was explained to me is that it is illegal to discuss services anywhere that could be construed as a public place. Even cell phone bookings are technically illegal. I'm going to double-check to be sure, but I got the info from Maggie's, a support service run by sex workers for sex workers here in Toronto, so it should be accurate.
Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to get my site up and running ASAP!
Cece
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Cece there are loads of us on here who have done free websites. have a look at past threads where we have discussed them and you should find everything you need to know. im no techy so if i can manage it anyone can. if you get stuck on any of it there is usually someone here at saafe that knows the answer.
Good luck.
L.x
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That doesn't sound right. Phone and email conversations are between two people and it would be illegal to listen in without a warrant, so how can they be considered public? Your advice source sounds reliable, but I'm going to ask a Canadian lawyer I know.
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I know what you mean, Anika, I said the same thing. Let me know what your friend says.
I saw your reference to rare-escorts on another thread and found a local number for them so I'll check them out for my website. Thanks.
Do you think doing a print ad with no phone number and my website address would be a safe bet? This paper is really well known for its escort section so I'd hate to think I missed out on a potential windfall.
Thanks,
Cece
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There was a girl in my area who used to advertise in the local paper with her website only. It worked for her.
I didn't mean to discourage you from using print ads, I was just giving my experience as requested. I don't see why you can't try both: get a print ad including your number, field calls for a few days and see how you find it. You should get at least some work, and you can use the money to get a website (rare-escorts is ok to start, but it's worth getting a proper site if you can) and see how that compares.
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Cece, have a look at moonfruit.com
I'm pretty clueless when it comes to computerstuff, but am learning daily and am pretty surprised I managed to get a pretty decent looking site together with my knowledge.
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Thanks. I've heard about moonfruit, but since I'm in Canada I'd rather deal with a local company. Unfortunately, the templates available to me through this company are absolute rubbish so I will have to work with a web designer just to get it up and running. After that I'll maintain it myself.
Cece
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hi
i think it is always good to make or get a professional site done, however i think such templates for free are may be a good way to start.
i am sure you are aware of but on the net there is no difference whether you use a local provider or a provider on the other end of the world
i agree it is good when you when the web site is done can alter it yourself
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I put an ad in the local paper once. I had to talk to far too many people and I didn't get a single booking, now I don't even put my phone number on full-page online listings, everyone has to go to my website!
People say you get a better standard of client from websites, and it's certainly less hassle.
After much phone pestering, I placed an advert in a special supplement the Daily Sport (an admittedly VERY low-grade national paper) were running earlier this year - I haven't used newspaper ads for quite a while (and many of the local papers, including mine, will no longer run them, for reasons which have been done to death elsewhere), and can honestly say that I must have had several hundred calls that week - the phone was red-hot. I got one booking out of it and probably spent more than half a day in total on the telephone explaining my rates, services and what I looked like (even though my website address was in the ad) to the lazy sods who were generally wanting to know whether I did half hour outcalls and so on (and the majority lost interest as soon as they heard my rates).
I don't know whether Canada is different but I would say that the return from a decent website you can update yourself is worth every penny you spend on it - plus if it's anything like here, newspaper ads can end up very expensive; I know a lady near me who used to spend ?80 a week on hers before they all got pulled - now I have my site, my advertising costs me less than that for six months!