Should You Still Advertise in the Phone Book?
For more than a century, Yellow Pages advertising has been a significant part of the advertising world. Despite this longevity, however, the medium has not been immune to recent changes which affects its ability to deliver predictable results for advertisers.
It is no longer accurate to speak of the “yellow pages” as if it were one entity. There are more than 6,000 directory titles nationally, and metro areas now have several versions (or neighborhood areas) of the directories competing to be everyone's reference book! Lots of books makes it expensive to advertise in! Yes, the directory has a widespread reach with nearly 97% of all homes receiving one, but I ask the question…who even opens it when we all have a smart phone in our pocket? While directories perform well as a reference tool (if someone doesn’t throw them away), they can not be considered a very proactive advertising medium.
As you know, most directories are printed once a year, and your ads must be placed (usually) 6 months before the book is printed and distributed. Do you know what is going to be your best seller 15 months from now? How will your business be different a year from now…so you can talk about it in your ad today? I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a crystal ball to look into the future!
Did you know, the Yellow Pages Publishers Association (YPPA) sites that half of all visits to the directory are made by people who have yet to choose a brand/supplier? This poses a great opportunity to convince someone to use you over a competitor…but, is this the level you want to stoop to? Price shopping? A small ad, mixed in with all your competitors makes it hard to convey a strong value proposition, especially when you have to compete with all the other clutter on the page.
Most significantly, yellow page directories are facing a much bigger problem. The internet. Yes, they have made strides in the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” category, by creating their own online directories, but nothing compares to the good ‘ol major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.
I believe that the only time someone actually picks up the printed directory is when they have an emergency, i.e. your toilet is over flowing, your garage door won’t go up or you need a lawyer. So, if you choose to place an ad in the directories, I suggest you create a strong sense of urgency in your message. For example: Same-day delivery, Customer Service open 24-hours or Emergency Services available!
So, in the age of technology, I recommend you evaluate your phone book budget, and perhaps re-invest that money into another medium that will engage, convince and motivate your customers to buy. Choose a medium where you can change the message as often as you want to stay current. And, some of the more “modern” mediums available are less expensive and give you more ROI than you’d think.
Want someone to evaluate your budget and tell you if your marketing dollars were well spent last year? I can help! Call me to set up your FREE Consultation.
Renee Schneider
Trio Marketing
p. 515.259.0577
c. 316.644.7029
e. renee@trioagency.com
A little more about us:
TRIO is a full-service marketing communications company providing a wide array of integrated marketing services to meet all of your business and marketing needs. At TRIO, we understand that each client is unique; therefore we provide customized solutions based on your goals and growth objectives. All of our recommendations are made specifically for you and your business. TRIO Marketing, Branding and Advertising delivers an effective blend of creative talent and strategic thinking, delivering results that increase the bottom line of our client partners. We utilize our network of local experts in the community to execute the campaigns on the basis of design, printing and mailing.
Our Services include:
It is no longer accurate to speak of the “yellow pages” as if it were one entity. There are more than 6,000 directory titles nationally, and metro areas now have several versions (or neighborhood areas) of the directories competing to be everyone's reference book! Lots of books makes it expensive to advertise in! Yes, the directory has a widespread reach with nearly 97% of all homes receiving one, but I ask the question…who even opens it when we all have a smart phone in our pocket? While directories perform well as a reference tool (if someone doesn’t throw them away), they can not be considered a very proactive advertising medium.
As you know, most directories are printed once a year, and your ads must be placed (usually) 6 months before the book is printed and distributed. Do you know what is going to be your best seller 15 months from now? How will your business be different a year from now…so you can talk about it in your ad today? I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a crystal ball to look into the future!
Did you know, the Yellow Pages Publishers Association (YPPA) sites that half of all visits to the directory are made by people who have yet to choose a brand/supplier? This poses a great opportunity to convince someone to use you over a competitor…but, is this the level you want to stoop to? Price shopping? A small ad, mixed in with all your competitors makes it hard to convey a strong value proposition, especially when you have to compete with all the other clutter on the page.
Most significantly, yellow page directories are facing a much bigger problem. The internet. Yes, they have made strides in the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” category, by creating their own online directories, but nothing compares to the good ‘ol major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.
I believe that the only time someone actually picks up the printed directory is when they have an emergency, i.e. your toilet is over flowing, your garage door won’t go up or you need a lawyer. So, if you choose to place an ad in the directories, I suggest you create a strong sense of urgency in your message. For example: Same-day delivery, Customer Service open 24-hours or Emergency Services available!
So, in the age of technology, I recommend you evaluate your phone book budget, and perhaps re-invest that money into another medium that will engage, convince and motivate your customers to buy. Choose a medium where you can change the message as often as you want to stay current. And, some of the more “modern” mediums available are less expensive and give you more ROI than you’d think.
Want someone to evaluate your budget and tell you if your marketing dollars were well spent last year? I can help! Call me to set up your FREE Consultation.
Renee Schneider
Trio Marketing
p. 515.259.0577
c. 316.644.7029
e. renee@trioagency.com
A little more about us:
TRIO is a full-service marketing communications company providing a wide array of integrated marketing services to meet all of your business and marketing needs. At TRIO, we understand that each client is unique; therefore we provide customized solutions based on your goals and growth objectives. All of our recommendations are made specifically for you and your business. TRIO Marketing, Branding and Advertising delivers an effective blend of creative talent and strategic thinking, delivering results that increase the bottom line of our client partners. We utilize our network of local experts in the community to execute the campaigns on the basis of design, printing and mailing.
Our Services include:
- Marketing, Branding, Public Relations and Advertising Consulting
- Strategic Annual Marketing Plan Development
- Integrated and Interactive Marketing Services including E-mail and SMS Marketing
- Promotional Products
- Media Negotiation, Placement & Spot Traffic Management Print Design & Production
- Web Development & Search Engine Optimization
- Direct Mail Services
- One-on-One Sales Team Development
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