What Your Yellow Page Ad is Missing (Part 3 of 5)

You’re had that large display ad for the last three years and it’s appears to be working. At least you get calls and they say they found you in the Yellow Pages. Each year, you change a word or two, try a new border and last year you even added a map. Yep, life is good and it’s working pretty well. That nice digital photo of your carpet cleaning van is right up to date and takes up about a third of your ad. But heck, it’s worth it. It’s got your neat logo plastered on the side and you even went to full-color to show off the shiny blue truck. So, what’s missing?

It might be the fact that you are spending a bunch of hard-earned profits promoting a van that every carpet cleaner uses. As someone who has used a cleaner in the past, I would expect that the guy showed up in some sort of truck. I doubt a motorcycle would suffice. So why invest a huge hunk of space for a truck photo? Okay, you’re proud of the thing, but so what? Can you think of another, better photo, that might bring in more customers?

First understand human nature. People like to see (a) happy people, (b) a good outcome, (c) both at the same time. Could you imagine a couple of smiling kids, horsing around on a clean carpet? Then toss in this headline and tell me what you think: “We Don’t Just Clean, We eliminate the Cause of Allergies.” Or “You’re Kids Are Safe to Play on Carpets Cleaned by Our Experts.” You’ve tied together a good headline with a picture that people can relate to. You could also try showing pets, or a family gathering, with a similar approach. Add some happy people and lose the truck. Okay you say, so who am I and how do I know so much?

I was a YP rep and consultant for nearly 25 years and, prior to that, had my own advertising agency. I also have a degree in marketing. I’ve been designing Yellow Page ads for the past three decades. So I have expertise in YP creation and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together the most effective YP ads. If you have a display or in-column ad, regardless of size, color or position, I can tell you it most probably needs improvement in the headline, artwork, body text, placement, book, or heading. You must understand the ROI or return on investment and learn how to track the results as well.

So consider getting some expert advice before you place your next ad. There are many good and inexpensive places to turn, some available on the internet. Make sure the consultant is well qualified with at least 25 years experience. Then you might uncover the other things your ad is missing that could affect your results and overall profits.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Jeffrey Hauser’s latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages,” which can be viewed at www.poweradbook.com He was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

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