So do me a favor right now...

Pull out your copy of the Yellow Pages and look up Auto Repair. What do you see? That is right, almost all of the ads are the same! Why is this I wonder? What would differentiate your business from the other businesses in your particular section of the Yellow Pages?

The reason that almost all ads are the same within a particular section of the Yellow Pages is that they are designed by the Yellow Pages company that produces the book or sells the advertising! There is no opportunity for market differentiation with the "cookie cutter" approach that most Yellow Pages advertising companies (the ones that sell the space) use in their approach when they position and place the ad...and speaking of positioning...could you be in a better spot so your ad stands out?

What about trust and credibility? Does your Yellow Pages advertising separate itself from the competition in these KEY areas?

Can you really say that your ad "separates" itself from the crowd? Is the ad written in more of an editorial style rather than as an ad? If the answer is no...then you need to rethink your marketing through the Yellow Pages, and quit wondering why you fork out $300 or more a month and get no results!

That is all from this month's tip...keep tuning in...because we are just getting warmed up here!

Joseph Ratliff is a professional direct response copywriter, marketing consultant, and author of The Profitable Business Edge... a brutally honest look at marketing your small business loaded with useful tips, useable action strategies, and opportunities to create income streams.