Advertising Information

3 Things Every Yellow Pages Advertiser Needs to Know


Too many business owners and marketers know that Yellow Pages advertising has an incredible amount of potential? but they don't quite know how to take advantage of it.

Fortunately, it's a mystery that's solved pretty easily once an advertiser knows where to turn for advice. There are fundamental truths about Yellow Page advertising that so many businesses fail to recognize, but once they do, they stand to capitalize on a sizeable reward. That said? let's try to understand it a bit better, shall we?

1. Common Yellow Page advertising mistakes are simple to fix.

Very simple. You don't have to be a graphic designer or marketing expert to drastically improve your ad either-you just need to know your customers.

You see, most Yellow Page ads make the very same mistakes? year after year ?directory after directory ?category after category. Some of the ads I see from professional design firms are riddled with mistakes too.

Of course they may look nicer... but that won't cut it in the Yellow Pages! While a professionally designed ad can certainly help grab attention, there is no substitute for ad content (read: words) if your goal is to generate a phone call.

And when it comes to Yellow Pages advertising, that's all that really matters.

By learning what makes a good headline, good body copy, and how to develop a strong offer-your Yellow Pages ad will run circles around an ad that just "looks great," but makes the same mistakes most others are making.

An example? Using your name and logo as the headline...

It's disastrous and yet more advertisers do it than not. No one cares what you call yourself until they've decided to pick up the phone and actually call you.

Your company name does not win you business. So if your name and logo is at the top of your ad? if it's big and bold and takes up space? if it takes the place of an attention grabbing, hard-hitting headline? you've made a big mistake.

Next, here's fundamental truth number 2?

2. Most Yellow Page ads are developed by the directory publisher.

That's right-the directory itself develops most of the ads you see. That's a pretty unfortunate scenario if you think about it. What happens if they design your ad and 4 of your competitors' ads? Whose ad stands out? Who gets the best ad content and the most original headline?

That's not a risk you'll want to take.

When it comes to Yellow Pages advertising those that know how to set themselves apart from the pack fare well. Nice design might get you noticed, but good ad copy grabs attention like a magnet and doesn't let it go.

Don't just hand the reins to someone else and let them develop your ad for you. Learn what it takes to generate response and play a role in developing that winning ad for your business.

Your design department will be happy to design your ad free of charge, but make sure you play an active role in developing the content. Because no one knows what makes your customers "tick" like you do!

3. Yellow Pages Advertising is different from just about EVERY other medium you use.

You might want to re-read that. Yellow Pages advertising is different because people see your ad when they are ready to buy. This is huge! Almost every Yellow Page ad I see takes the approach: "This is who I am and this is what I offer."

Guess what-that's dead wrong!

All that matters in Yellow Pages Advertising are "the reasons someone should choose you over your competition." Telling them what you offer does no good. They know what you offer! They're looking at your ad because their tooth hurts and they turned to the "Dentist" category.

Focus on "why, with all of these options, they should choose you" and you'll be doing what so many advertisers before you have failed to include.

That is the information your prospects looked in the Yellow Pages to uncover. Give it to them. Give them a reason to pick up the phone and know you'll provide them with something different? something better.

Your prospects are a skeptical bunch. Make contacting you and giving your business a shot a risk-free, value-filled proposition for them. When done correctly this will give any usiness a tremendous edge over the competition.

Care to learn a little more?

About The Author

Alan Saltz, the author, teaches Yellow Pages Advertisers how to boost their response and return on investment, using simple, but extremely effective techniques. To learn more about how to improve your own Yellow Pages ad, visit: http://www.YellowPagesProfit.com.

alan@YellowPagesProfit.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Boston Globe

New York Times now offers front-page advertising
MarketWatch - Jan 5, 2009
"In 2006 we began testing ads on some section fronts and received a very positive response from the advertising community," said Denise Warren, ...
Video: Money Minute: Times Ads, Hyundai, Construction AssociatedPress
How much are those front-page Times ads? Reuters
NY Times debuts front-page ad; new revenue source The Associated Press
Adweek - Western Standard- Shotgun Blog
all 362 news articles


Recession raises stakes for Super Bowl advertising
guardian.co.uk, UK - 22 hours ago
"The Super Bowl remains this incredibly unique advertising opportunity because you get all this focus and all this attention and all the PR buzz around it," ...
Kellogg School of Management Faculty Available to Discuss Super ... PR Newswire (press release)
Super Bowl Marketers Must Gauge Sensitivity Mediapost.com
Super Bowl success requires follow-through SmartBrief
Financial Times
all 23 news articles


BeliefNetworks, Inc. Launches AffinityAgent Advertising ...
MSNBC - Jan 6, 2009
Utilizing this technology, BeliefNetworks is able to help a variety of customers in the advertising and publishing world develop relevant ad concepts and ...


Dallas Pushes for More Video Board Advertising
MSNBC - Jan 6, 2009
The city council is looking to add more video advertising boards and told city staff that the five currently planned for Main Street are not enough. ...


Time Warner to Report Loss After $25 Billion Charge
Bloomberg - 2 hours ago
The economy has hurt advertising at the AOL and publishing units more than anticipated, the world’s largest media company said today in a statement. ...
Time Warner now expects a loss BloggingStocks
Write-downs send Time Warner into red CITY A.M.
Time Warner Sees Loss for Year Wall Street Journal
MarketWatch - The Associated Press
all 501 news articles


BBC News

Iliad, France Telecom CEOs Press Senators to Cut Public TV Tax
Bloomberg - 6 hours ago
President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed a 0.9 percent levy on the telecommunications companies’ sales to make up for lost revenue from an advertising ban on ...
Is Nicolas Sarkozy really trying to Berlusconise French TV? Telegraph.co.uk
Strikes greet Sarkozy's TV reform BBC News
French unions decry TV advertising change Forbes
World Socialist Web Site - Voice of America
all 122 news articles


Accuray Receives Prestigious Awards for 2008 Advertising Campaign
PR Newswire (press release), NY - 3 hours ago
The ADDY Awards, presented by the American Advertising Federation, is the world's largest advertising competition. With more than 60000 entries annually, ...


Gaming Alerts

Online Casino Crosses Advertising Standards Agency
Online Casino News, CT - 5 hours ago
... context of toughness, and linked it to excessive risk taking and reckless behaviour', said a spokesperson for the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). ...
Ladbrokes's online casino broke advertising rules Reuters UK
Ladbrokes TV ads banned for linking gambling to reckless behaviour guardian.co.uk
LADBROKES CRITICAL OF ASA RULING RecentPoker
The Press Association - Financial Times
all 28 news articles


School district to use online advertising service for job openings
Reno Gazette Journal, NV - 7 hours ago
CareerBuilders.com continues to be the advertising venue of choice for Lyon County School District job vacancies. At a total cost of $21085 through ...


Los Angeles Business Journal

US court upholds LA ban on billboards
Los Angeles Times, CA - 7 hours ago
The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a lower-court ruling, saying the city's 2002 prohibition of outdoor advertising does not violate a sign ...
Laurence Tribe Tangles with Los Angeles -- and Loses! LA Weekly
Rare Victory: Sign Company Slapped Down By Court Curbed
Appeals court upholds LA's billboard ban San Jose Mercury News
Los Angeles Times
all 33 news articles

Advertising - Google News

home | site map | Tele88.co.uk | Soscili.com | UltimateWealthCorner.com | JustDial.tk | bennyong.com
© 2006 Velocity Spark Network. Hosted by Hostonfire.com