Types of Ads
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5 Tips for Hot Yellow Pages Ads
by BIG Mike McDaniel
Yellow Pages advertising is one of the most popular forms of advertising in the country today. Almost every home in America (96.9%) and business has at least one copy of "the book".
Almost three out of five (58%) of all adults say they check the Yellow Pages for a phone number and/or address at least once per week, with 77% using the book monthly.
While the Yellow Pages are an excellent reference tool, they fare less well when considered as an advertising medium. People use the Yellow Pages to look for a familiar name. If your other advertising works, then fining you in the Yellow Pages should be a snap.
Remember, once the book is published, you can't change your ad until the next publish date.
Here BIG Mike's 5 Tips to make a Hot Yellow Pages ad
1 - Sell the benefits Put a headline on your ad pushing benefits. Explain how the benefits will help your prospect fulfill their needs.
2 - Forget extra cost color The only thing color has been proven to do in Yellow Pages advertising is increase the price you pay for the ad.
3 - Ask for the order Writing "Call us now at xxx xxxx" will get more responses than if you simply listed you phone number.
4 - Write like you talk Inject your personality into everything you write. No-one wants to read boring and stuffy legal-ease. Use short sentences and words. Use simple language Use the word you .
5 - Avoid Bragging Don't boast "biggest and best". It turns people off, even if it is true. Being number one won't sell any product for you.
Remember, the Yellow Pages is generally a reference tool. People look for a name they recognize (or can't remember) or for a name given by a friend. Your ad should help them remember. The only other use of the Yellow Pages is to look for an emergency services. That's why you see lots of tow truck ads and no ads from Sears. Design your ad accordingly
© 2006 BIG Mike McDaniel http://BigIdeasgroup.com BIG Mike is the Small Business Advertising Expert and recommends http://SmallBusinessAdvertisingArticles.com where you will find hundreds of articles about small business advertising.
BIG Mike McDaniel may be contacted at http://BigIdeasGroup.com or Mike@BigIdeasGroup.com
How to Promote Your Business in the Yellow Pages: Ask the Expert
by Barry Maher
The Interviewer:
Fran Finley, author of "Ask the Expert: How to Promote Your Business"
The Expert
Our expert on Yellow Pages advertising is author, speaker, consultant, Barry Maher. You may have seen Maher on the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNBC or in the pages of USA Today, the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. His book, Filling the Glass was recently honored as [One of] The Seven Essential Popular Business Books by Today s Librarian magazine. Few people realize that Maher is also the author of the book, Getting the Most from Your Yellow Pages Advertising, and that he conducts Yellow Pages workshops at conventions across the country. According to TIME, Barry Maher has helped thousands of small businesses get the most cost effective Yellow Pages advertising possible.
Does Yellow Pages advertising really work?
Well, it certainly can work. But it s far more likely to work if you pay attention to a few key rules.
Can t you rely on your Yellow Pages sales rep for any help you need?
Sometimes the rep can be part of the problem. Too many Yellow Page ads are whipped up in the few minutes the rep has left after trying to sell you a bigger ad. Ask, no, insist, that your directory publishers develop an ad for you that justifies the cost. If they can't, have the ad produced yourself.
Okay, so you need a great looking ad. What about the content?
Content is another key. The first piece of ad copy that readers see, the headline, has to be powerful enough to drag them away from all those competing ads. Never use your company name as your headline unless it really is that powerful. Unless it really is the most important selling copy in the ad.
What other copy should you include?
You have to include all the hard, factual information potential customers need to make a decision to call or drop by: be it about image, market niche, products and services, features, brand names, expertise, pricing, quality, hours, reliability, speed, location, service area, credit available, whatever it might be.
So you should use every bit of ad space you re paying for?
Absolutely not. Your ad is competing for readability with every other ad under your heading or headings. If it s difficult to read, it isn't going to be read. You've got to refine your copy until you can provide all the information potential clients want in an ad that's so uncluttered and inviting that reading it becomes automatic.
What about visuals, like drawings and photos?
Nothing can turn a mediocre Yellow Pages ad into a great one faster than the right illustration. If your picture isn't worth a thousand words, find one that is.
How about ad size: is bigger better?
Unfortunately, all things being equal, bigger ads get a greater response. They also get the best placement, closest to the front of the heading. Placement can be even more important than size.
A visually appealing ad can make up for some size, especially under a heading where all the ads are on the same page or two. It's much more difficult to compete with ads on an earlier page. That page may never be turned.
Always consider placement when you're deciding on ad size. Have your sales rep show you where the size you're considering would fall in this year's directory. That should give you an idea of the position, relative to the competition, you'd have next year. Sometimes going up a size and spending just a few more dollars will move you much closer to the front of the heading. Sometimes you can cut back in size without losing much in the way of position.
What about using color?
Color is eye catching. And expensive. If the money you d be spending is approximately the same, you re better off significantly improving the size and placement of your ad than the color.
Some areas are covered by several competing directories. Should you buy ads in all of them?
Make the sales rep prove value before you buy, especially when you're considering a directory for the first time. If he or she can't prove value, don't put any real money there. Instead, try something small: perhaps even a simple in-column ad, or even just a listing. Track your response, survey your customers to discover how they discovered you. Then next year you'll have know.
What s the biggest Yellow Pages mistake you ve ever encountered?
That s got to be the attorney who found herself listed not under ATTORNEYS but under REPTILES. I ll leave it to you to decide if that was perhaps more truth in advertising than she bargained for.
Which reminds me: Always insist on getting a proof for your display ad.
This article is adapted from Fran Finley s forthcoming book, Ask the Experts: How to Promote Your Business.
Expert Barry Maher can be reached at 760-962-9872 or at his website: www.barrymaher.com. The completely-updated third edition of his book, Getting the Most from Your Yellow Pages Advertising is available on amazon.com and by special order through all bookstores.
Barry Maher is an leading expert on motivation, communication, leadership, management & sales. His book, "Filling the Glass" has been honored as "[One of] The Seven Essential Popular Business Books." Sign up for his free email newsletter at www.barrymaher.com Barry Maher may be contacted at http://www.barrymaher.com
Yellow Pages Advertising in a Digital Age?
by John Morana
Do customers still use PRINT Yellow Page directories, or has everything gone digital? Well, physicians, auto repair shops, attorneys, dentists, plumbers, insurance agencies, veterinarians and florists... Just these 8 (out of 300) categories alone were referenced nearly 3 BILLION times in 2005. Now consider that online Yellow Pages were referenced a measly 1.8 billion times for ALL BUSINESS CATEGORIES, and you can see that print Yellow Page directories are still one of the very best ways to reach valuable local prospects at the very time they re in need of your product or service.
In fact, certain companies live and die by the Yellow Pages. Businesses like Restaurants, Attorneys, Dentists, Plumbers, Insurance Agents, Veterinarians, Florists and Beauty Salons are among the top 20 most referenced headings published by the Yellow Pages Association. To find out how important the Yellow Pages might be to your business, get a copy of the Top 300 Headings published by the Yellow Pages Association (call 800-726-7006 for a free copy). You ll be able to see exactly how your business category stacks up in terms of reader usage. For businesses in the Top 50, the question isn t should I be in the Yellow Pages? but rather how do I maximize my return on investment ?
So, how do you generate the best response from your Yellow Pages ad?
Your ad s success in the Yellow Pages depends largely on just two main factors...the LOOK and CONTENT of your ad. At the end of the day, these two factors will determine your Yellow Pages advertising ROI. Other factors such as directory selection, colors, ad size and headings (often over-emphasized by advertising sales reps) are far less important and relatively easy to address. Your greater challenge will be in developing a Yellow Page ad that visually leaps off the page and then persuades prospects that YOU are the very best business to call. How do you do that?
As a professional Yellow Pages ad designer with a history of generating outstanding customer response and ROI for my clients, I ve written a series of articles offering in-depth analysis and advice on each element of successful Yellow Page ads. For convenience, I ve summarized my main points here, and provided a link to these articles in my signature block.
Fundamentals of Yellow Pages advertising - rake in the phone calls by:
A successful Yellow Page ad will have the power to visually stop readers in their tracks, draw them into the copy and persuade them with electric words that address their specific needs, concerns and fears. When you tap into their emotions, your prospects will feel comfortable and safe. And, they will respond to your Yellow Page ad before any other advertisement in your heading.
Your prime local prospects are ready to call you and give you their business! Does your ad leave no doubt in their minds that you are the very best business to call? If not, let me know, I d be happy to assist.
John Morana is president of MaxEffect Yellow Page Ad Design and has specialized in print advertising design for over 3 decades. He has helped thousands of Yellow Page advertisers around the world improve their ROI. For more tips and quick answers to your Yellow Page ad design questions OR to request a free, no-obligation Yellow Page ad design evaluation: Call toll-free 800-726-7006 or Visit: http://www.max-effect.com/ John Morana may be contacted at http://www.max-effect.com/
How To Multiply The Response To Your Yellow Pages Ad
by Tom St Louis
How To Multiply The Response To Your Yellow Pages Ad ( Or Any Other Print Ad )
If you think that advertising in the Yellow Pages is not right for you, you may be right. But before you write off the Yellow Pages, you should do a bit of research into how many responses your heading receives every year. You might be surprised. You might find a great opportunity that a lot of your competitors are missing out on.
If you DO advertise in the Yellow Pages, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, you should understand the nature of the beast, which may come as a surprise.
The Yellow Pages directories are a marketing orphan . They are unloved, unglamorous, unsexy. Most marketing experts know next to nothing about how to use them. But I ve seen many very profitable businesses derive virtually all their business from one good ad run in many directories.
But, and this is extremely important, less than 1% of Yellow Pages advertisers know what an effective ad is. The bad rap the Yellow Pages has is not earned. If you know how to use them, the Yellow Pages can be incredible!
Most advertisers have the vague notion that they want a response. That s logical. We want the phone to ring! they say. But the way they go about it leaves a lot to be desired.
Exposed: The #1 Cardinal Sin of Print Advertising
The biggest mistake neophyte advertisers make is to assume that the theme of their ad should be: Who we are, what we do, and how to reach us . The second biggest error is not having a great headline. Here s a clue: Your name and logo are not a headline. They are the least important things in your ad until a person wants to call you and knows exactly why. At that moment, and not before, your company name and number become important.
The name, rank and serial number approach is wrong for any print ad, but especially the Yellow Pages, which is a magic moment medium. There is no other medium where people in need go to find an instant solution, ready to take buying action right away. If you could but understand the mindset of your prospect in their moment of need, you would dominate your heading year after year.
The Ultimate Secret To Acing The Yellow Pages
Now let me share with you a powerful secret that very few people in the marketing business understand. You may not believe it at first, but if you take it to heart, this secret could revolutionize your Yellow Pages response forever and the rest of your direct response print ads too!
Here s the secret: the Yellow Pages Is NOT A Visual Medium! (Huh?) Yes, really, no kidding.
But how can that be? Aren t all ads supposed to look great and employ a lot of white space ? Sorry to break it to you, but those are two of the big lies that agencies and graphic artists have been perpetuating for years, which have been consistently disproved by measuring response.
The Yellow Pages may be full of colour and pictures and maps and words. And yes, you have to LOOK at the page to read it, but it is not a visual medium. Let me offer you an analogy to explain:
Imagine going to a fancy restaurant and ordering supper. The waiter brings your order along with a picture of a beautiful meal, which looks even better than the one, you ordered. Which one would you want to eat?
The incorrect assumption everyone makes is that appearance counts for more than substance in the Yellow Pages. Anybody who tells you this does not understand the state of mind of your Yellow Pages prospect in need. The only time a prospect looks at your ad is when they are in dire need and ready to take action. They are not looking for pretty pictures.
With nothing but pretty pictures to choose from, your prospect will have to pick one. But, when there s one good information ad, and several pretty pictures, the information ad will win, hands down, every time.
How To Double The Response To Your Yellow Pages Ad
You will double your response -- EASILY -- if you turn your ad into an information piece, or advertorial . Why? Because the person who is in distress wants information all the credible information they can get their hands on. And, even more than that, you will stick out like a sore thumb. Your ad will jump off the page and it will look like an information piece, not a sales pitch. Everyone else is saying, I m the best! and you are giving them precisely the information they crave. Who do you think they ll want to talk to?
I have seen information ads multiply the response of image ads in the Yellow Pages on numerous occasions. In every case, the directory rep tried to talk my client out of running the ad. Don t listen to them! Your directory sales rep is in the space selling business, not in the direct response business.
And one more thing: once you run your ad, try to resist the temptation to plaster the little Let Your Fingers Do The Walking Stickers on your vehicles and in your store window. Did you ever stop to think how foolish it is to invite your prospects and customers to go where your competitors are advertising?
Tom St. Louis is a marketing strategist, copywriter and president of Zerald Communications of Toronto. For a free critique of your Yellow Pages or print ad, go to WWW.UltimateYellowPagesAd.com
Ultimate yellow pages ad - Increase your yellow pages response by up 600%, glancing your yellow pages ad and provide you Free report for your ad on yellow pages or yellow pages directory.
Tom St Louis may be contacted at http://www.ultimateyellowpagesad.com or ultimateyellowpagesad@itdefine.com
How to Dominate Other Yellow Page Ads
by Joe Farinaccio
What I m about to reveal to you is classified information. Top secret stuff.
Okay& maybe not top secret& but you should know some entrepreneurs pay big bucks for the information I m about to reveal to you. And that s no fib either.
If your business is listed in the yellow pages this strategy will send lots of customers your way& resulting in more sales.
It s a simple tactic, but works in a big way. Yet hardly anyone uses it. I m not sure why. I m guessing it has something to do with a tendency us to go along with a crowd without even consciously thinking about it.
When it comes to marketing, we want our customers to buy from us or hire us. Then again, we re often afraid of appearing too different from other businesses.
So what s this got to do with advertising in the Yellow Pages? Plenty.
In fact & I can prove it. Just go right and grab your local Yellow Pages Directory. Alright now& open it up& and tell me what you see.
Lots of ads, right? Problem is& they look alike.
Right at the top of 99% of these Yellow Page Ads is the business name. For example, under the Haircutters and Stylists listings we might see something like the following at the top of each ad block:
Sally Jones Hair Salon
Theresa s Hair Care
Quickie Cuts
The Family Hair Gallery
Now& if you re thinking, Sure Joe, but EVERYONE structures their Yellow Pages Ad like that&
Uh huh. You see where I m coming from?
Most people are afraid of looking too different from everyone else in business. And this is especially true in their advertising.
That s no good. For one thing, your advertising is supposed to set you apart from the crowd& tell readers what s unique about you. And second& you re paying big bucks for a Yellow Page Listing.
So make your yellow page advertising count!
The person who opens up the yellow pages is looking for something. They re either looking for a particular item, or they re looking for something to solve a particular problem.
If someone is reading the category you re listed under it s a good chance they re a HOT prospect. A high percentage of Yellow Page shoppers are ready to buy NOW.
So is your business name likely to grab their attention? Probably not. People don t care about your business name. They want to know if you can help them with their need. And help them NOW.
So how are you going to make your Yellow Page Listing stand out from the crowd? Well& for starters&
Use a big, bold headline. Right at the top of your space ad.
Let s say you re a busy person who s just moved into the neighborhood. Today, you re in the market for a new hair cutter/stylist. Your turn to the above section in the Yellow Pages Book and read the listings. Except now, instead of Theresa putting Theresa s Hair Care at the top of her ad there s the following headline:
People Wasting Time at Most Hair Salons Trying to Look Their Best
Hmmm& that s interesting. You begin reading. The next few lines of body copy immediately following the headline say something like this:
Most hair salons waste a client s time. First, they make customers sit in a room and read magazines. Never mind the customer has an 11 a.m. appointment. The Salon thinks 11:15 or 11:20 is the same thing as 11:00. Next, the customer gets their hair washed. Then they sit a few more minutes until their stylist has an open chair.
This NEVER happens at Theresa s Hair Care. Whether you want the latest style, or simplest cut, you can look your best without spending half a day at the salon. Her stylists are all experts in the latest trends. But Theresa has developed a system& like clockwork. This means no wasted time. She even promises that if you call ahead and book a time-slot you ll NEVER have to sit and wait more than 7 minutes before a stylist gives you their full personal attention - - or your haircut is FREE. To find out more pick up the phone right now and call 555-5555 to book an appointment.
Notice how this is written. Like a news editorial; not an ad. It s written this way for a reason.
If getting a nice haircut quickly is important to customers in Theresa s area then her Yellow Pages ad speaks directly to a core desire. If Theresa can deliver on the promises she makes in her ad then she s got a winner. And her YP listing will generate customer response like crazy over other listings in her category.
Bank on it.
Joe Farinaccio helps business owners and entrepreneurs make money using direct response advertising. To learn more about this, plus learn how to write profit-pulling sales copy, or simply find out how you can get Joe s help to sell your products or services & visit his website at & www.sales-letters-and-marketing.com
Joe Farinaccio may be contacted at http://www.sales-letters-and-marketing.com or jjfarina@hotmail.com
Attention-Grabbing Fixes that Make Your Yellow Page Ad Leap Off the Page
by Dr. Lynella Grant
Attention-Grabbing Fixes that Make Your Yellow Page Ad Leap Off the Page Dr. Lynella Grant
Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users A Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge for advertisers. All the competitors are packed together, within the space of a few pages. Each ad within the directory category screams "Notice me!" so insistently, they blend into an muffled chorus. It's not easy for one to stand out with a clear, distinctive voice - like a soloist above the choir. That only happens when the business is clear about expressing its unique "song," and understands what buyers most want to hear.
It isn't surprising that most Yellow Page ads say pretty much the same thing. They were all prepared by the same directory employees. What do they know about marketing? About copywriting? About what's unique and desirable about your enterprise?
The people making the ads "grind them out," using the same templates and guidelines for every ad, in every category. Originality isn't in their job description. Following the formulas for how an ad "should look" is a formula for being ignored.
These quick fixes cut away the bland sameness afflicting most ads. Disregard for now the related issues like the ad's size and placement. Such factors just amplify (or diminish) an ad's impact. A poor ad is still a poor ad, even if it's very large. Coupled with fine-tuned copy (its own topic), these fixes will improve the impact of any size of ad, for any directory heading.
Try these Quick and Easy Fixes You don't have to be a designer or copywriter to make your ad stand out. You just have to understand your customers' unstated wants, so you supply precisely the information that they're looking for. And you need to know how you're different than your competitors. Set yourself apart, so you don't fade into the background, as most ads do.
1. Shrink the business name. That is NOT the most important part of the ad in the reader's mind. And it crowds out the space for information that that could sell them on you. Once you can get them to want you, they'll be able to find your name and contact information OK.
2. Ditto, shrink the graphics. They may be helpful to catch the eye initially, but add nothing to what directory users want to know. Images often distract from the ad's message, wasting its moment of attention on trivialities.
3. Provide a headline that hooks the readers' interest (the category or business name isn't one, but most ads act like it is). A strong, emotionally-charged headline pulls attention into the rest of the information. It makes people stop skimming and actually read. Provide a promise that hits their hot button in a way that applies only to you (but not every other competitor in the category)
4. Make the location easy to find. Half of all directory users scan ads for the business location first, and then only consider those ads which are convenient. Location of the enterprise overrides an ad's size or placement in the directory.
5. Display your expertise, along with a reason for buyers to seek out your specialized knowledge. Offer a booklet, class, in-depth information on your Web site, etc. This also establishes your credibility in customers' eyes, which is crucial to building sufficient trust to complete a purchase.
6. Buyers are hunting for information that can assist in making a purchase. When they open the directory, they're hoping to find a business that in some way communicates, "I'm the one you're looking for." Make it easy for them to know it's you, by giving ample information directed at their concerns. Organize it in bulleted lists.
7. Add your Web site address (domain name) and/or email address. Treat your Web site as a place to expand the size of your Yellow Page ad. Then state a reason why a person wants to check your site: www.mysite.com for 23 simple ways to keep your dog from over-eating Or www.myrestaurant.com for recipes to our award-winning desserts.
8. Arrange it all so the information flows logically, and to please the eye.
9. Eliminate images or phrases that appear in the other ads. Find a different, more interesting way to express it.
10. Don't let the directory do your ad for free. It will end up costing you too much.
The Ideal Yellow Page Ad The very best ad is the intersection between what a buyer is looking for, and what a business provides. When a business is attuned to its customers' priorities and needs, it can say exactly what rings their bell. For example, a harried mother will respond with relief to the phrase, "Free Childcare Provided." That service carries no weight with a business person, who may consider "No extra charge for weekend service calls" the clincher.
What really makes an ad stand out is the specifics, not the generalities (which is what every other ad says). Visit www.yellowpagesage.com for advice from many experts about getting more mileage from your ad. Or obtain a customized critique of your ad, that eliminates the guesswork about what needs fixing.
Directory users are ready to buy. Simplify their lives by making your products and services so "just right" that choosing you is their only sensible choice.
--Dr. Lynella Grant Consultant and Author - Promote yourself, business, website, or book with online articles http://www.promotewitharticles.com Free how-to. Or let me write and submit your articles online for you. No learning curves (719)395-9450
Dr. Lynella Grant may be contacted at http://www.yellowpagesage.com or grant@yellowpagesage.com
