Wednesday, November 22, 2006

What Every Yellow Page Advertiser Needs to Know

Do you know the five things to ask your Yellow Page representative? You should, because they determine a lot about your advertising. How about the best type of headline? Okay, what about ad costs? How much should you be spending? Still in the dark? You’re not alone. Most business people know little about a media that’s been around over 100 years and is a fixture in every consumer’s home. But it’s not your fault.

If you’re a typical advertiser, you get the bulk of your information each year when your YP rep comes around. Depending on how efficient they are, they will pass on all the salient data needed to make an educated decision. But what if they fail to tell you something valuable? How do you even know that you’re missing anything at all? Let’s move on.

Is the headline really all that important? Well, most times it is the first thing a consumer will see in regards to your business. It sets the tone and may help or hinder a business based on a few words. Writing it should be left to professionals, unless you have insider information.

Then there is that monthly YP bill. Are you happy with the cost? Did you realize that the ad charge is not the main concern: it’s the ROI or “return on investment” that determines the final cost.

There are dozens of things to know before you place that next ad. Many are common sense, but not all that obvious. Others are industry secrets that no one, including YP reps, want to talk about. 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.
Do you know the five things to ask your Yellow Page representative? You should, because they determine a lot about your advertising. How about the best type of headline? Okay, what about ad costs? How much should you be spending? Still in the dark? You’re not alone. Most business people know little about a media that’s been around over 100 years and is a fixture in every consumer’s home. But it’s not your fault.

If you’re a typical advertiser, you get the bulk of your information each year when your YP rep comes around. Depending on how efficient they are, they will pass on all the salient data needed to make an educated decision. But what if they fail to tell you something valuable? How do you even know that you’re missing anything at all? Let’s move on.

Is the headline really all that important? Well, most times it is the first thing a consumer will see in regards to your business. It sets the tone and may help or hinder a business based on a few words. Writing it should be left to professionals, unless you have insider information.

Then there is that monthly YP bill. Are you happy with the cost? Did you realize that the ad charge is not the main concern: it’s the ROI or “return on investment” that determines the final cost.

There are dozens of things to know before you place that next ad. Many are common sense, but not all that obvious. Others are industry secrets that no one, including YP reps, want to talk about. 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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