Marketing......what works and doesnt work (for me at least).

Well after playing the role of the "new restauranteur"........a.k.a. "ignorant sucker" for the past year and a half, I think I've found some marketing that actually works. When you open up every Tom, Dick & Hare comes by selling you on every marketing/advertising scheme known to mankind. You've got a certain amount set aside in your budget for it, and most of them make it tough for you to make a decision. The truth is most of it, in theory, sounds like a home-run. Now I'm not going to set here and speak as if I am now the authority on what works and what doesnt.............but I will tell you what worked for me, which was not much. I've done coupons on the back of Kroger receipts, Newspaper advertising, Sudden Values, coupon magazines.............all of which have been about as worthless as tits on a boar hog. BUT.........my radio campaign on 104.5 the zone (local sports/Titans radio show) added to the bottom line......and I just did a direct mail campaign for several local zip codes that looks to be working very well. We are consistently getting probably on average of 10+ per day coming in the Joint and I would say that 75% of them are new customers. I am going to start an email list here in the next month or so.....which is what Sudden Values is/was but I dont think they really ever sent anything out. I am pretty happy with the direct mail campaign.....we'll see how it goes over the next few weeks before I'm completely sold.