Yellow Pages Ads: Do not waste your money

By Julie Woodside

When was the last time you opened a Yellow Pages directory to search for a local business?  Most of you are probably delving deep into your memory trying to conjure an image of an interior of this once useful reference — it’s been a while.

“Yellow Pages ads are no longer a working marketing mechanism.”

HubSpot’s VP of Marketing Mike Volpe and Sales Training Manager Andrew Quinn hosted a live webinar discussion on why Yellow Pages ads are a waste of your money and where you should invest instead.

Quinn believes Yellow Pages are neither good nor bad.  But, is it worth the investment for your business?

How do you effectively reach your target market in 2011?

• Be prepared to be found within your local market when folks are ready to buy
• Shopping habits have changed:  Internet plays stronger role.

How do Yellow Pages ads work? “Publish & pray,” says Quinn.

Phone book is not the go-to source anymore; multiple alternatives

• In 2000 many ads shifted to the Internet due to improved search mechanisms
• EVERY industry is going to undergo shift to Internet.
• What is important: When does your business/do your customers shift? How do you respond?
  • Key driver of shift:  How useful is online CONTENT on your product/service
  • Pay attention to social trends

What determines if Yellow Pages ads are useful for YOUR BUSINESS?

• INDUSTRY/SERVICE
  • Way people research services has shifted to online search
• LOCATION/REGION
  • ex: Northern Maine = great for yellow pages.  But, be prepared for shift!
• DEMOGRAPHIC
  • Age, income level, etc.

Selling Yellow Page Ads in 2011 is fear-driven sales

How do customers find your ads if not in the book?

• Tip: Really investigate the usage stats and facts that the salesperson is showing you
• Be aware of what others in your industry are doing

What is right level of investment for your business in Yellow Pages?

• How do you decide what to invest?
• Where put ads?
• Ad sizes?
• Should be in book at all?

AT&T found 63% of small businesses still advertise in Yellow Pages.  Just because it exists, does not mean it reaches your customer base.

Why? Some telephone companies are lobbying states to try to stop printing white pages residential listings.  Only 2% of customers request a copy of white pages.  Buyer behavior is shifting.

Bottom Line

• You need to track incoming calls.
• Do research on where to spend your money for advertising investment.
• Offline media (Yellow Pages) can drive business to Internet.

Conduct poll for your customers

• How did you find our phone number to call us today?
• When was the last time you opened a phone book to call a business?
• When was the last time you opened a phone book to look me up?

These questions will help see if your customers use Yellow Pages ads to contact you.  Further, study Yellow Pages to see if similar businesses are shifting out of that medium.

Investing in Yellow Pages ads is a waste of money as most people shift to the Internet to research businesses.

Today’s best advertising practices

• Be prepared to shift your best content to online,
• Understand how your best prospects come through your door
• Have an idea of the drastic cuts you are willing to take, and take risks.

Post-webinar Hubspot blog post.