Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!littlei!intelisc!omepd!psu-cs!warren
From: warren@psu-cs.UUCP (Warren Harrison)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Marketing software
Message-ID: <886@psu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 26 Aug 88 05:49:42 GMT
References: <3128@sdsu.UUCP>
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Portland State University; Portland OR
Lines: 74

It all depends what you want out of the deal.  There are lots of ways to get
free or low cost publicity for your product.  I'll mention them from most
effective to least effective - I've done all these for my software, so I
can only relate my experiences, but I think they're representative.

(1)  Product Reviews in a magazine.  This is by far the most effective way
     to get your product known (if it is a good review).  The approach I
     have found the most useful (if your product is unique, which I think
     yours is) is to send a press release to the editors of every magazine
     you can think of (see #2).  If the product looks interesting, they'll
     call you about a review copy (sometimes).  You're safer of course
     if you just send out free copies to magazine editors and/or reviewers.
     Probably 1% of the recepients will even look at your software, but the
     last time PC-Week reviewed one of my programs, we probably got 100 or
     so orders out of it (consider a normal month for us is 30-50 orders).
     If you get your documentation in lots of 500 at a time (the most
     cost effective), it probably costs less than $5-$10 to send out a
     review copy.  What's even better is that after a magazine has reviewed
     your product you can send out copies of the review with your literature
     when someone calls for info.  This ads credability and helps make up
     for the crummy brochure you're bound to come up with during the first
     year of business (see #3).

(2)  Press releases in magazines.  Write up a press release and send a
     copy (or three) to every name you can find inside the cover of
     every computer magazine you can think of.  These folks get hundreds
     (really) of press releases every month, so don't expect everyone
     to run your product announcement, but if one or two do, it could
     result in some sales.  More importantly, it continues to add to the
     credibility of your product.  The thing most buyers are afraid of is
     getting ripped off.  This helps show that your product really exists
     and they're not sending their money down a black hole.  Go to a
     library at a nearby college and check out their journalism texts.
     They can help you write a press release.

(3)  Low cost ads in magazines.  Computer Language and Dr. Dobbs both have
     "Programmers Marketplace" sections as do Programmer's Journal,
     Micro Cornucopia, etc.  Rates can run from $100 to $400 a month for
     a 1/9 page ad.  They're not as effective as a full page color as
     on the cover, but do you really want to spend $5000 for a one shot ad?
     As a bonus, most of these places will typeset your ad for you ...
     doing this for the full page ads can cost almost as much as the ad
     itself.  We commonly get about 40-50 reader service inquiries a month
     off each of our ads.  Remember, you still have to sell these people
     once they make an inquiry, so you'll have to have some brochures or
     other literature on hand to send to people when they request more
     information.  Again, if you have a copy of a review from a known
     magazine to send with the literature, it really helps.

As to start up cost you can figure documentation and binders for the
documentation.  Brochures, and money for some low cost ads, as well as
actually setting up the brochurs, documentation and ads (if the mag won't
typeset them for you).  The costs can vary quite a bit, depending on how
much documentation, etc. you need.  You will also need an actual business
phone line (your residence line won't hack it).  When someone sees a
product announcement or review that lists your company's name but not its
phone number, you want a potential customer to be able to find it by calling
information.  Also, you want someone to answer the phone during the day.
You can use an answering machine once in a while, but if a person gets a
machine day after day, every time they call, they can't help but suspect
your technical support will be a bit weak.

Feel free to send me mail if you have specific questions.  I know you can
do it, because I have.  I'll never get rich off it, but it does tend to
pay for my toys (like my Porsche and my 386).  Just make sure you have
another job to live on.

By the way, I tried it via the shareware route first and have concluded that
unless you have a product that everyone that owns a PC would use, you're
wasting your time.  Less than 5% of the users of shareware actually pay
the full registration price, but many of the overhead costs are still
there, like legal fees, banking charges, postage, etc.

Warren Harrison