Yellow Pages Advertising that Gets Results
When it comes to making your phone directory advertising work harder for your money, what's needed is something that really stands out from the pack.
You've got to compel the reader to pick up the phone and call your business, NOT the competition listed next to you. Advertising in the Yellow Pages puts us all on an equal playing field—unless we do it right!
Anyone can buy the largest ad in the phone book, so if your ad is as big as your biggest competitors, customers will see both companies as equal in size.
However, it is possible to compete on level ground and still leave the others in your wake.
If the phone book is an important source for your business, be sure to consider the following information.
- Size does matter!
Independent research has shown that the number of calls received does increase with the size of the ad in the phone directory.
- White space is useless.
The key here is making the most of the available space. Each square centimeter of the paper costs the same, so it's important to make sure it's all doing the job of selling your business.
- You must have a headline.
99% of phone directory ads have one thing in common—a headline. It's what draws people to your ad. It's your attention grabber. Yet the problem is this: 99% of advertisers have the SAME headline—their company name or their logo! Most people rely on 'XYZ COMPANY' to attract people's attention, while the ad next to it says 'ABC COMPANY.' Who would you call? Make sure your headline contains a big dose of "What's in it For Me" for your reader.
- 'What's in it—For Me?'
The question on every customers lips is 'What's in it—For Me?' The text of your ad must sell your products and services. It must give the readers great reasons why they should call you—not just the features of your products or services. You must list benefits to your customers as well.
- Make an offer.
Placing an offer in your advertisement has been shown to boost the response to your phone directory advertising by up to 300%, yet it's something that almost no one does. Interestingly, it could be the difference between winning a new customer and having your phone directory ad bring you a return on your investment—or losing one you never even met!
