Remember Yellow Page Advertising?

The yellow books have gone the way of the 8-track tape, but this lesson can and should be applied to all your display ad marketing.

How To Create Profitable Yellow Page Ads

Yellow page advertisements can be a tremendous asset to your business or they can be one of the most expensive mistakes you’ll ever make. It’s also hard to get the truth from some yellow page advertising because rate structures are complicated; the market research they quote to you will only contain information that the Yellow Pages wants quoted.

Yellow Page Ad Tips

• Cut back in the white pages, it’s alphabetical.
• A bold listing is not necessary and you can save @ $200 per year by not using bold. The blocked off areas and superbold are also a waste of money. You can save up to $650 per year by not doing this. Spend money for an extra line verses bold or blocked ads.
• Bigger yellow page advertisements get better placement. If you’re using an in column ad you can use an alpha sort for better position like AAAAAA.
• The chance of being selected is in proportion to other sizes on the page ½ page gets selected 2 times as often as ¼ page try to avoid 1/16 or 1/20
• Never buy a yellow page ad that is more than one size larger than the competition.
• Color is a big profit center for advertisers. Red for example is roughly a third higher markup on ads. It also doesn’t guarantee a better response. In fact, on a 3/16 of a page ad and larger, red actually decreased response. When there was only one ad in red on the page, studies showed it caught the eye 22% of the time but only caused 13% of the calls.
• Larger black only ads were selected 54% of the time versus smaller ads with red, which were selected only 11% of the time. On ¼ column ads you will get the best use out of red but only if you are the only one on the page using red.

Yellow Page Advertising Mistakes

1. NO headline. Every Yellow Page ad should have a headline. See Creating Headlines to learn about writing headlines.
2. NO “What’s in it for me.” Use your yellow page advertisement to sell the reader on calling you.
3. NO Compelling reason to take action (offer, guarantee, urgency) Tell the reader why they should call you instead of other Yellow Page advertisers

Get Better Yellow Page Response

1. Mention offer and guarantee up front
2. Mention free bonus up front
3. Sweeten the offer
4. Strengthen the guarantee

Yellow Page Ad Questions

1. Have you created your ad for the people who have the ability and the desire to buy what you’re selling?
2. Do you know who your target is? And are you aiming correctly?
3. Have you used the killer words that personalize the message in your ad?
4. Are you allowing people to identify with you in your ads (connection)
5. Have you made it easy to respond to your ad?

Dealing With Yellow Page Advertising Reps

The rep has one agenda: Volume. The representative is interested only in selling you the most expensive yellow page ad. You must When placing an ad, yellow page or other:

• Never allow a yellow page rep to walk in off the street or cold call and sell you.
• Schedule and allow for one hour of uninterrupted time to discuss your yellow page advertisement.
• Plan before putting your ad together find out the exact (real) closing date and when the rep will be in your area.
• Call the rep and put them to work for you ask for an ad done on a spec basis. You are committed to nothing. Don’t sign anything or give a deposit until you are 100% in control.
• Have the rep send a tear sheet form with the prices marked for each yellow page ad size and color options with separate breakdowns.
• Ask about discounts and specials. Keep in mind that yellow page ad discounts are usually for one year only.
• Insist on seeing your ad proof before going to press and check for errors, especially in the yellow pages (otherwise you must live with mistakes for a year).
• Put all requests in writing and document everything. Keep in a safe place!!!

Be prepared for resistance. The rep will push you for size and color. They will push traditional ads in most cases. That’s all they know or care to understand and will resist non-traditional ads.

By following these tips you will create a much more profitable yellow page ad:

More YELLOW PAGE HELP

Learn the truth about where your clients and prospects turn when they are ready to buy and how to make them choose you. This report took over two years to create and will tell you everything you need to know to create killer yellow page ads. It has step by step instructions and before and after examples. You’ll discover how to create an ad that will double or triple your response in under an hour, with this amazing report. NEED BETTER STATEMENT HERE. WHERE IS REPORT?