I want to try a NewsPaper Ad, How, Where anyone with success?

[johnwilder35]

I want to try a NewsPaper Ad in a daily, weekly local newspaper.
Any advise, via who or how to do it myself directly with a newspaper.

1st area is Poltava, Ukraine.
Kharkov
then a few smaller towns.

Any with success via this method?

Thanks

[Simoni]

You might write a member here, Thor.  He has had some luck with that method.

Good luck!

[Daveman]

Yep, Thor would be the guy to link up with for Kharkov.

Check out this thread

http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=4053.0

Somewhere in there you'll find a link to a place where you can place your own newspaper ads in various cities in Ukraine.  Probably would need to have the blurbs translated and a contact number inside the country that she could call.

[TwoBitBandit]

Yep, Thor would be the guy to link up with for Kharkov.

Check out this thread

http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=4053.0

Somewhere in there you'll find a link to a place where you can place your own newspaper ads in various cities in Ukraine.  Probably would need to have the blurbs translated and a contact number inside the country that she could call.

Inspired by Thor's story and being thoroughly tired of dealing with agencies, I also ran a personals ad right after he did.  The ad I ran looked very similar to Thor's and I ran it in Sochi.  In the ad I put my own email address instead of a phone number.  I understand Russian well enough to read and reply to the responses.

I got a fair number of responses, around 40-50 as I recall.  Sochi isn't very big (325K people?), so I considered it a good response rate.  Thor reported that his on-the-ground assistant in Kharkov was having a hard time keeping up with his ad there.  I imagine that if I had run my ad in a city as large as Kharkov I would have gotten a much bigger response rate.

The problem I had was with the type of responses I received.  Apparently, there's some Russians who aren't that clear on the concept of why western guys look for women in the FSU.  I received responses from ladies significantly older than me.  It's very rare to see young overweight girls in the FSU, but apparently they do in fact exist and they do read the newspaper.  The majority of the responses I received were from single mothers.  (Now that I think of it, that isn't very different from the agency scene.)

By the time I got there I was down to three or four girls I wanted to meet.  I wasn't really that excited about any of them except for one, but it's the pool I was fishing from so I met them.  None of them went anywhere.  (The one I was really interested in turned out to have a young child.  I regretted not being slightly more pointed when she dodged the question in one of my letters.  I really liked her and would have pursued her if it weren't for her son.)

Don't let me discourage you, though.  Thor met his wife through this avenue.  This whole adventure is a little bit hit-or-miss.  It's a numbers game.  Hit multiple cities or newspapers so that enough of an audience sees your ad.

[CCowboy]

I've also used ad system in Kharkov.  Thor had an excellent response to his ad because he was in his late 30's and also posted a photo.  I was told he met about 50 women from the ad which did result in him getting married.  I used the same person, Slava to place my ad.  However, my results were very different.  Although I had a very good number of responses, over 40, I later learned that Slava did not follow up on them.  One of Slava's major problems is that he's often too busy.  He teaches English and French fulltime at the local university.  Sometimes he'll have 2-3 men in Kharkov at the same time placing ads.  Slava will devote his time to whomever he feels he's going to make the most money from.  For the other's, he gives minimal service, if any at all.  If you do a search in the archives for Slava and Kharkov, you will see a more detailed report of my experience using Slava.

If you go to the menu on the upper left of this page, you will see Topsite.  Listed there is a banner for a translator named Mila from Kharkov.  I have heard good things about Mila from other members of RWD and her services cost about 1/3 of what Slava charges to start an ad campaign.  Placing an ad and getting responses is the easy part.  Having someone who will follow up and screen the responses is most important.  The reality of placing an ad is that most of the responses will be from women you won't be interested in.  However, if the screening is done properly and in advance of your visit, you should have a nice selection of women to meet.  It's not about the number of women you meet but having the opportunity to meet the right woman.  Goog Luck. 

[GoodBrew]

John,

My TR using a newspaper ad placed by Mila is here.  I went back in December to see the featured lady in my TR and will be getting on a plane next week to see her again.     

The reality of placing an ad is that most of the responses will be from women you won't be interested in.  However, if the screening is done properly and in advance of your visit, you should have a nice selection of women to meet. 

That was my experience as well.  One other thing.  Summer is not the best time to run an ad, especially in Kharkov.

[tim 360]

For Ukraine try AVISO.UA   Very inexpensive and they are in most Ukraine cities.  You can DIY but try getting someone to assist you, like Anastasia or Mila via PM, in composing your ad and sifting through the replies so you don't waste your time.

[planner]

My wife was sitting on a toilet in Sochi when she found my ad in the newspaper.  I went with an agency who also would work with me and place an ad in the newspaper.  (The agency no longer exists.)  It seems a different kind of woman responded to the newspaper ads, ones which wouldn't consider an agency.  The paper will reach some who are not high tech oriented or live outside the metropolitan centers which broadens your contacts.  Also a significant number of undesireables respond who are easy to detect and sort through, but waste your time in the process.  There were 3 women who were quite acceptable that responded to the ad.  The agency women didn't work out.   

[mendeleyev]

Possibly an excellent idea.  I certainly do not wish to speak badly about a lady who uses an agency because there are lots of very sincere gals, yet there are lots who are less than sincere too.  One might surmise that newspaper or other type advertising reaches a different type lady generally.

When you think about the type of personality required to pick up and move 10,000 miles across the oceans while leaving everything behind, a lot of "personality types" will not step forward to initiate (join an agency), yet are still interested in love and family.  I have no scientific data, but one has to wonder if the non-agency route would result in less danger and more sincerity.

I'll never forget a few years back, and I'm trying to find the photo, of a small bus stop billboard in Kharkov on which a Russian man had contracted the billboard firm to post his marriage proposal to his gal.  I imagined that the particular bus stop was probably where she took the bus daily and it was short, very sweet and nicely done.

It was so romantic and catchy, and we had so much genuine fun at seeing it that my wife got on her cell phone and called to tell her mother about it. I can only imagine the delight of the girl when she first discovered it.  It appeared to have been posted around 8 March (women's day).

[Thor]

As some of your members say so did I meet my wife th rue using Slava to run newspapers ads. I had a lot of re ponds to my ads, maybe up to 100 and they called 4 months after I meet my wife . I spend 2 weeks in Kharkov and meet between 50-60 different girls. Very funny buy the way.

I had very good experience with Slava. Someone said that he only helps the guy with money, then I cant understand why he helped me . I believe that it is very important to don't have to high expectations. If you are a older guy then meet girls close to your own age and so on. I become fast a good friend of Slava and I threaded like a good friend, of course he wanted to the best work he could for me. It is littel bit what goes around comes around.

I have meet Mila and she is very nice and seems to been doing a honest business. I like her. Slava is more experienced and very well know how to find the girls.

Running a ad can be a good idea this days, especially with the Eco crise rising in Ukraine. The crise will hit Ukraine bad this spring and summer. More girls will be looking for a safe life in the west...

[CCowboy]

Thor,

I respect your loyalty to Slava.  You had a good experience and apparantly Slava gave you the kind of service that he should give to all his clients.  But you and I both know that Slava has given poor service to a lot more people than he's helped.  Do you remember writing this to me last summer?  "I know that Slava is not perfeckt and he should threat all his customers the same way. I am aware of many of the issues you raise in your PM to me and I know that several clients have not been to happy with him. Especially the storys with K.S. has been a irritaiting for many. I know that "R" has not been to happy with Slava because he seems to adore K.S. so mutch. It seems to me that K.S. is good for Slava and I know what "R" has told me about K.S. and that K.S. dont deserve that Slava adore him so mutch".  And this: "Please understand that I can see why you are angre because I meet a lot of Slavas clients and have heard this storys too and I belive them. But I also know that Slava can be very clever and know how to do this when he is motivated. Both "R" and myself have tryed to talk to Slava about this but it is not easy. I have have also been a littel bit tired of all the K.S. talk...belive me".  So, why do you promote his business?  Men spend a lot of time and money planning these trips.  They rely on RWD for guidence from our experiences to make their trips as successful as possible?  Having been victimized myself from bad recommendations, I'll do what I can so other's can avoid being victimized themselves.

 Though Kharkov is Ukraine's second largest city, for men coming to Kharkov seeking a wife, it becomes much smaller.  All their time is going to be spent in the city center.  Initial meetings will usually originate at one of 3 places.  The most popular is at Lenin monument in Lenin Square, followed by McDonald's on Lenin Ave or Pizza Bella.  It's not uncommon to meet other men waiting to meet their dates.  We stand out like a sore thumb.  I've met other men who have used Slava's services and with the exception and maybe K.S. and you, each has expressed disappointment with Slava.  I personally recommended Slava to at least 6-7 other men and each was disappointed with Slava, except for one-K.S., the one who was in Kharkov the same time as me.  Slava made it very clear that he was a VIP client.  I guess the fact that I referred him to Slava meant nothing.  I agree that men often have very unrealistic expectations.  I met one of Slava's clients and I even felt sorry for Slava having to work with him.  But a handful of successes does not mean Slava does the business right and treats all equally and fairly.

Despite the fact that I had recommended Slava to many men before I used his services and Slava offered me 20% of his profits as a thank you, I still paid the $200 fee for his ad campaign.  Promises were made but by the time I arrived, Slava had done nothing.  I had no ladies to meet.  For me, Slava created a profile on Flirt.Com, showed me how to use it, and basically ignored me for my first week in Kharkov.  Although I was 63 at the time, Slava listed my age at 55.  His reasoning was that compared to most Ukraine men, I appear to be 10 years younger.  I told Slava I was interested in women 40+ but he recommended I specify 35-45 in my ad.  I had made my own arrangements for an apartment so he wasn't going to make rental money from me.  I loaded enough information, photos, and a translation program on my computer to entertain a woman on a first meeting.  I believe that if there isn't mutual chemistry, why pay for a translator and go through the motions for an hour.  This did not sit well with Slava and he made other's aware of it.  All I asked of Slava for my $200 was to place the ad, screen the women, and arrange for my initial meeting.  If there was a mutual interest to meet again, then I would use Slava as a translator.  I've had enough bad experiences using agencies, using agency translators, and wound up spending an average of $60 for meeting a woman that was a waste of time for both of us.  Slava couldn't even take the time to ask basic simple questions.  Several of the women I met I would have NEVER met if Slava had bothered to ask basic questions.  A prime example was the last woman I met through Slava.  Slava called me and just said, "Robert, I have a good response to your ad.  She speaks good English, does not have children, and is waiting for your call".  There was no other information.  It turned out she was 23 y.o. and ultimately asked me for a $4000 "loan" for an operation. 

I made two trips to Kharkov putting 100% trust with Slava.  Both trips were a waste of time and a lot of money.  With all the negative feedback from the men I recommended to Slava, from the negative comments I received from men I met in Kharkov who used Slava, I will continue to let fellow RWD members know that Slava is a very poor choice to use in Kharkov.  Yes, Slava may have years of experience, but when there is very little follow-up to the responses to an ad, experience means nothing.  I had over 40 responses to my ad but met just a few women.  When I asked Slava, he just said they weren't right for me.  This is the main complaint I had from other men.  The subject of Slava has been discussed before and I don't want to make this a major thread.  Bottom line:  I think placing an ad is an excellent way to meet non agency women.  It's just my opinion that Slava is not someone to recommend.         

     

[TwoBitBandit]

I can feel your pain, CCowboy.

Russians and Ukranians just don't "get" good customer service.  It's truly the the "wild west" of business.  Out of all the people I've hired in some way to help me out, I've been happy with perhaps two of them.  (God help me if I try to name them on this forum, there's always some agency owner that crawls out of the woodwork and calls me a shill.)

It's even hard to find good service if you're paying more.  Usually, paying more in the FSU just means you're just paying more, not that you're getting better service.

On my next trip I'm not going to use agencies or any of these "services" at all.  I've been studying Russian for a long time and don't need their services.  I'm done feeding from the dirty trough of MOB.  (Not that I'm recommending that approach: I needed a time investment of about thousand hours including significant instruction expense before my Russian was good enough to even think about pulling it off.)

[HiTech]

I have mixed feeling with slava. He has always treeted me fairly , I have used him for english lessons and renting apartments. and also used him with placing adds. But I would not recomend him for placing adds in Kharkov. In general I would not recomend the Add method unless you are spending at least one month. So you can continually run the add and do losts of screening.

HiTech