Is Yellow Page Advertising Dead?
There are a lot of naysayers out there who claim that Yellow Page advertising is a waste of money. You might also feel this way when your local Yellow Page ad salesman tells you it’s $1,500 for a listing in next edition of the local phone book.
These days, you might argue that most local searches originate online — you would be correct. The thing to remember is that there are still plenty of people who grab the phone book rather than fire up the computer to look online. Is it worth it to purchase an ad? Only if your ad is well crafted.
Certainly you should be well represented on the web. But, ironically, most advertising problems stem from the design and the type of messages used, not the medium in which it is delivered. In other words, “It’s the Archer, not the Arrow.”
The Yellow Pages can be an incredibly effective way to promote your business — especially in more rural areas, smaller towns and towns with a larger percentage of residents ages 55 and older. These groups tend to use the Yellow Pages primarily when researching local businesses.
Think about your parents. I assume they probably still rely on the Yellow Pages. The Phone Book has been a part of their lives since they were kids! This, combined with the fact that the baby boomer generation has become obsessed with their health, means that you should still be using the Yellow Pages as part of your overall marketing strategy.
But, the trick is to make your ad unique. If your ad looks like every other ad, you’re going to get the same result as everyone else — little to no response. However, if you use a direct response marketing strategy, you will see a significant increase in the response to your listing.
The ad must stand out, it must be different and it must get their attention right away.
The ad must have a compelling headline (“Drop a dress size in 21 days GUARANTEED at XYZ Fitness Center”).
Your ad must speak to your target audience. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Identify your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and tell the world about it!
Your Ad must have an irresistible offer (First two weeks free, money back guarantee, etc), and must contain a call to action (Call now, visit our website, stop by, etc).
After a year you should be able to measure the number of responses you received, the number of sales that were made and the overall return on your investment. This will help you decide if it is worth advertising in the Yellow Pages the following year.
Curtis Mock is the host of www.FitnessBusinessTelevision.com the TV show for fitness entrepreneurs. He is also the executive director of gymsuccess.com. Curtis can be reached at curtis@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
