Thursday, November 23, 2006

Is Your Yellow Page Ad a Wimp?

That’s right, a wimp: a poor performing weakling among a group of muscle-builders. Did you slap it together in an attempt to get the Yellow Page rep off your back or was it something that they suggested? How do you know if it is competitive or not? You need to understand these things way before you place the ad.

You have a lot at stake. There’s all that money you are spending annually. Then there is the need to bring in new customers. You are also reminding all your referrals and existing customers that you’re still around. And don’t forget the type of image you are generating. Whew. That ad has a lot of hard work to accomplish, so it must be a power-ad, and certainly no wimp.

So, how do you avoid placing a “wimpy” ad anyway? First, you do your homework. You begin by researching the industry and your competition. Next, you uncover your market by looking at your most profitable type customer. Then you decide which size and colors will make the ad generate the most returns. See, it’s just that easy. Or not. Do you know how to do all these things I just mentioned? How are you at market analysis, industry statistics and demographics? I thought as much. But that’s why I’m here to help.

Who am I? 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.
That’s right, a wimp: a poor performing weakling among a group of muscle-builders. Did you slap it together in an attempt to get the Yellow Page rep off your back or was it something that they suggested? How do you know if it is competitive or not? You need to understand these things way before you place the ad.

You have a lot at stake. There’s all that money you are spending annually. Then there is the need to bring in new customers. You are also reminding all your referrals and existing customers that you’re still around. And don’t forget the type of image you are generating. Whew. That ad has a lot of hard work to accomplish, so it must be a power-ad, and certainly no wimp.

So, how do you avoid placing a “wimpy” ad anyway? First, you do your homework. You begin by researching the industry and your competition. Next, you uncover your market by looking at your most profitable type customer. Then you decide which size and colors will make the ad generate the most returns. See, it’s just that easy. Or not. Do you know how to do all these things I just mentioned? How are you at market analysis, industry statistics and demographics? I thought as much. But that’s why I’m here to help.

Who am I? 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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