In this era of electronic
communication and easily accessible information, business owners still turn to
one advertising source year after year to invest their marketing dollars: The
Phone Book. Even when studies confirm that consumers use the internet first for
their purchases, reaching for the yellow pages second or third (Lewis) , directories are
still a multi-billion dollar industry (Grant) . Advertising dollars
produce yellow page directories; if they didn’t still work to bring consumers
to businesses, the yellow page industry wouldn’t exist. After all, business
owners are savvy people. So, if you find you’re not getting the returns you
think you should with your yellow page advertising, then it’s time to ask
yourself what message your ad is sending before shifting your marketing budget to
something else.
To understand what message you’re
sending to your potential customers, you have to understand first what the
purpose of an ad is. Entrepenuer.com gives the following definition: “To call the
public's attention to your business, usually for the purpose of selling
products or services, through the use of various forms of media, such as print
or broadcast notices.” The website goes on to explain that the purpose of
advertising is to: Make Customers aware of your product or service; convince them
your product or service is right for their needs; create desire for your
product or service; enhance the image of your company; announce new products or
services; reinforce salespeople’s messages; make customers take the next step;
and draw customers to your business (Advertising) . When designing your
yellow page advertising, you must remember that you’re creating it for your
customers, not for yourself. The tag-line “Family Owned and Operated” might
attract a few nostalgic customers, but “Over 100 Years Serving Your Family”
will strike a deeper chord in a greater audience (assuming, of course, it’s
true). Ask your best customer what brought them to your business rather than
your competitor, and you’ve got a tag-line that will work!
Next, you have to consider the size of your
ad. What is it you’re trying to accomplish? A business reaching for dominance
in the market might have different goals than one trying to establish a
presence in the community. A larger ad is more noticeable, and will create the
perception of a well-established and profitable company. In the consumer’s mind
bigger often does mean better. A smaller ad, on the other hand, conveys a sense
of intimacy: you want new customers to know you’re around, and when they visit
they’ll get a richer experience than one of those other places, where they’re
just walking wallets.
Consider also what your competitors are doing.
If your biggest competitor has a full page ad, and you’re tired of your
potential customers going to them first, match the size of their ad. You can
even one-up them by purchasing a double-truck (an ad spanning two facing
pages), or a premium position on the front or back covers.
Finally, consider your industry. Retail
stores, specialty boutiques especially, would be served well by placing an ad
in the Yellow Pages to establish the understanding with their customers that
they are present, and haven’t gone completely over to the internet. Businesses
who provide urgent and emergency services, such as plumbers, attorneys and general
contractors should focus a majority of their advertising budget on maintaining
a dominant presence in the Yellow Pages because “people (especially older
demographics) do still reach for the printed Yellow Pages when they need a
local business in a hurry” (Lewis) . But if your work is
mostly business to business, or you’re the only one in town, take a second look
at your marketing budget because the Yellow Pages might not be for you.
The most important factor in any advertising
is the message you’re sending to your customers. If you’re not thinking about
them, why should they be thinking about you?
Now that you have a deeper understanding about
your Yellow Page advertising, creating an ad is really quite simple.
First, decide what image you’re going to use.
The image should be connected to your business, the services or products you
offer. But, remember that you’re picking an image that will attract your
customers. You may be proud of the building you’re in, but unless you’re in the
business of repairing buildings, a customer wants to see what you offer, not
your store.
Additional images connected to your business
can be spread throughout the ad, depending on the size of the space you’ve
purchased. As the maxim goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so
pick at least one that has the thousand words you want to convey.
Next, come up with your tag-line. This text
based message will be what catches the eye and confirms the information in the
image. Space is limited, so keep your tag-line short, succinct and to the
point.
Third, a bullet point list that can be
separated into two columns, or read easily on a single horizontal line can be
used to describe in greater detail what your top selling services are. If
you’re just starting a new service, put that in as well. For instance, a
plumber company that now does electrical work too might add that in. An
attorney who specializes in Personal Injury, but is also branching into Estate
Planning will keep his current clients, and begin attracting new clientele.
Once these main points have been generated,
add in your hours of operation. If you’re available 24 hours a day, make sure
to note that as well. This information lets your customers know when you can
help them with their wants and needs, and reduces their aggravation upon
visiting your business only to discover you’re closed on Sundays.
Payment methods you accept used to be a common
addition, and are still used by some. This really is up to you. If you only
accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover, keep in mind that you’re missing out on
potential customers who prefer AmericanExpress.
Your address (if you have a physical location
your customers can visit) should be included just above the place your phone
number will be listed. Your phone number, in large font and an eye-catching
color, should be in the center at the bottom of the ad. It creates a lasting
impression, given that our eyes scan the ad from top to bottom. In short, you
create a call to action by placing your address and phone number at the last
place your customers’ eyes roam.
Once you have these details worked out, begin
building your ad. Many phone book companies have a graphic arts department that
can create the ad for you at a nominal fee, or even for free. Be sure to check
with your Account Representative at the directory to find out more. And, unless
you have an art degree, let the experts handle creating your ad. They’re
trained to think like your customers.
As you can see, your Yellow Page advertising
says a lot about who you are as a business, and your approach to your
customers. They determine the message that you send.
Works Cited
"Advertising." n.d. http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/advertising.
Article. 2 May 2013.
Grant, Dr. Lynella. "If You Lost 70% of Your New
Customers,." 2005. http://www.businessknowhow.com/. Article. 2 May
2013.
Lewis, Kern. "Should Small Businesses Still Book
Yellow Page Ads?" 28 March 2011. Forbes.com. Article. 2 May 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment