Monday, November 20, 2006

Finding Cheap, but Effective, Yellow Page Advertising

If you are a typical Yellow Page advertiser, this headline is what you want to hear. Either from me, your YP rep, or the publisher. Why? Because you are paying too much already, or at least you think you are. I should know. I was a YP consultant for a Bell publishing company for 25 years and always heard how expensive we were. Whether it was for a $10 listing or a $1500 full page, it didn’t matter. So I fought over the rates before I ever got to the main problem with the ads. That’s right, the cost isn’t the problem. So what is it, you asked?

It’s the amount of money or profit that you will make on your YP program. Traditionally, it’s called the ROI or return on investment. That’s all that’s truly important. For instance, if you could spend $10 a month on a listing and get $100 in business, would that be a good deal? If you said, “Yes,” you’re wrong! That’s because you should have asked for the $1000 ad that also returned 10 to 1, giving you $10,000 instead. That’s a much higher profit, of course. But many business people fail to see the big picture. Now the ROI also depends on all the salient elements of the ad and how they work together. And I’m quite familiar with all the various ways to accomplish that task. How do I know so much?

I was a YP rep and consultant for nearly 25 years and, prior to that, had my own advertising agency. I also have a degree in marketing. I’ve been designing Yellow Page ads for the past three decades. So I have expertise in YP creation and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together the most effective YP ads. If you have a display or in-column ad, regardless of size, color or position, I can tell you it most probably needs improvement in the headline, artwork, body text, placement, book, or heading. You must understand the ROI or return on investment and learn how to track the results as well.

So consider getting some expert advice before you place your next ad. There are many good and inexpensive places to turn, some available on the internet. Make sure the consultant is well qualified with at least 25 years experience. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting your own time and money.
If you are a typical Yellow Page advertiser, this headline is what you want to hear. Either from me, your YP rep, or the publisher. Why? Because you are paying too much already, or at least you think you are. I should know. I was a YP consultant for a Bell publishing company for 25 years and always heard how expensive we were. Whether it was for a $10 listing or a $1500 full page, it didn’t matter. So I fought over the rates before I ever got to the main problem with the ads. That’s right, the cost isn’t the problem. So what is it, you asked?

It’s the amount of money or profit that you will make on your YP program. Traditionally, it’s called the ROI or return on investment. That’s all that’s truly important. For instance, if you could spend $10 a month on a listing and get $100 in business, would that be a good deal? If you said, “Yes,” you’re wrong! That’s because you should have asked for the $1000 ad that also returned 10 to 1, giving you $10,000 instead. That’s a much higher profit, of course. But many business people fail to see the big picture. Now the ROI also depends on all the salient elements of the ad and how they work together. And I’m quite familiar with all the various ways to accomplish that task. How do I know so much?

I was a YP rep and consultant for nearly 25 years and, prior to that, had my own advertising agency. I also have a degree in marketing. I’ve been designing Yellow Page ads for the past three decades. So I have expertise in YP creation and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together the most effective YP ads. If you have a display or in-column ad, regardless of size, color or position, I can tell you it most probably needs improvement in the headline, artwork, body text, placement, book, or heading. You must understand the ROI or return on investment and learn how to track the results as well.

So consider getting some expert advice before you place your next ad. There are many good and inexpensive places to turn, some available on the internet. Make sure the consultant is well qualified with at least 25 years experience. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting your own time and money.

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