The way Yellow Pages brings you business has changed. Studies are showing that people often don’t contact business directly from a yellow pages ad anymore, and that most people are now using Yellow Pages as a middle man on the way to your website. So obviously it’s important your business stay in Yellow Pages directories, both online and offline, for that reason.
Online Yellow Pages
It would be wise to invest in a top placed listing which sees your business show at the top of the page for your local search category.
In your attempt to save money you can’t count on people to look down the page further to find you, especially if you are located in an area with lots of competitors. What happens with online Yellow Pages is most shoppers will click the first or second ad and then leave yellow pages before they even looked down the rest of the listings on page.
So it pays to get a listing near the top. The investment is more but it will pay for itself ten fold.
Offline Yellow Pages
I suggest you invest in having an ad written by a professional copywriter.
Your add needs to include an irresistible call to action such as ‘Call Us For A Chance To Win (something)/Get a Free Diet Report/Free Fitness Consultation (you choose)’. Give away something for free to entice them to contact you. Personally as a free give away, I suggest a free report full of tips and advice. Send it by email because not only does it cost you nothing to send, it also enables you to email that person in the future if you are running regular promotions.
Remember it pays (literally) to stand out and be different and everyone wants something for free. It brings them into your business then you have the chance to win them as a customer.
By giving away something valuable free as a ‘Call To Action’ makes your ad shine in the eyes of the shopper.
And yes, the biggest ad sells the most and gets the most response! Don’t be stingy. Big ads get attention.
To sum up the winning formula for Yellow Pages ads…
1. Get a professional copy writer to write your ad
2. Include a call to action by offering something free Eg.“Call Now For A Free Fitness Assessment/Report etc”
3. Buy a big ad (it will pay for itself as with better placed online ads)
NOTE: If your yellow pages rep suggests that you change the design of your professionally done ad, you need to tell them you want nothing changed! I mean it! It’s your business not theirs, often reps are not qualified marketers or copywriters. That above ad formula is a winner (try it this year and prove it for yourself).
…
A Quick Tip for Local Yellow Pages Listings
When you have a text listing only make your text listing BOLD CAPS and CAPITAL LETTERS.
If your business is in plain text, you look just like all the others in your area.
If all the listings are plain text a shopper can’t distinguish which business is the biggest and best.
BE the biggest and best by adding bold and caps (it only costs a little bit more money, we’re talking maybe $20-$40 more a year).
