What should I put in my yellow pages ad?

[Yellow Pages Guru]

Yellow Pages ads are viewed by people who have all ready made a decision to buy. Don't emphasise why your product or service is needed but rather why it should be obtained from you. Consumers need and want two types of information from Yellow Pages adverts.

Firstly, they need to know why they should purchase from one company and not another.

Secondly, they need information that facilitates making their purchase ie they need to know how to make the purchase or have a call to action.

If you really focus and see things through your customers eyes then your Yellow Pages ad copy should virtually write itself.

[Teresa2084]

I used to work for yellow pages as a media sales executive who sold those adverts to customers. I then went to work for BT phone book who consisted of mainly ex yellow pages staff.
I have worked for 5 directories over 13 years , 2 new ones. If you knew the truth from behind the scenes from someone who knows directories better than most, you would think before you advertise in them and if you do advertise with them, its better to know what your doing than not too.
Yellow pages is no longer where customers source a business.

Youve got 2 new directories coming, one already live and stung thousands already after changing thier name and reselling to already unhappy customers who werent aware it was the same company they already had huge problems with and one due to go live this month and has already stung its customers and employees and is pretending the councils will be putting works and tender on thier site which is 100% not true.Thats just to lure people into thinking that if the council are using the directory, then they are a trusted place to advertise.

Im working on a "tips" page for businesses wanting to advertise and what to look out for etc and how to get more for your money. Unless you know the sales methods used, you will always be at risk of over paying or being ripped off by new or existing directory companies.

I normaly send people to directories I know have one owner and are net based only and all transitions are done via the site because they are better value and the owner will go out of thier way to provide a good service.

[mindblend]

I would also think about having a memorable number, or an 0800 number or 0845, as these kind of numbers make you stand out from among all the other ads.

[Teresa2084]

Hi mindblend

0800 numbers do not make you stand out from the rest when most directories now add it into the advertising with them package so nearly all businesses get a free 0800 number now. Theres huge competition between directories recently and another one thats been added is the text service, so that if you text to a certain number say for example, 39465 and then put in plumber, the mobile service picks up where your phone signal is at that moment in time, then goes to the web site and finds the nearest local plumber to where your standing then texts you his details. The rate for that is about 80p per text you recieve.The problem with that service is for example, your in london and your wife is in berkshire, and she gets a serious plumbing prob and you say, hold on babe il just text that service and get u an emergency plumber, because the text signal is picked up from his mobile in london, he will get sent and local plumber in london and not in berks where she needs it. They havent found a way around that problem as yet.

0800 numbers are purchased off BT by most directories now and in huge batches. They are then allocated to the businesses when they pay for an advert with that directory. It costs the directory company minimal amounts and they then say to the customer its a free service, but it isnt if you look at the price of the advert your paying for.

A typical sales speil on that is, hi Mr Smith, bla bla bla and we even give you a free phone number and most people prefer to ring free phone numbers instead of a land line and we pay for the cost of the calls. Directories ought to be had by the short and curlies if they pay for the cost of the calls, because Mr Smith if he has any sense, will get his mother in law to ring him on it and all his mates and get his money worth

Did I just say that!

[mindblend]

Hi Teresa,

Interesting comments. There are still plenty of people who advertise in the Yellow pages who do not use an 0845/0800. Also I would say that return depends entirely how nice your number is.

I think most customers are savvy enough to see that if a company is advertising using a really nice number E.G 0800 800 800 for instance, they are more serious about getting your business than say a mobile or a standard 0800 number.

[egay]

Good post. We placed Local Virtual Numbers in our ad and this worked very well. We are based in Birmingham and our advert covered Wolverhampton and Walsall. We werent getting any calls from these areas because people didnt think we were local. We purchased a Wolverhampson and Walsall Number and had them pointed to our offices. We got lots more calls from these numbers as our customers believed we were local. I dont think that these people would have called us if we advertised an 0845 number or 0800 number.

Hope this helps

[Teresa2084]

Hi

Mindblend, you seem to assume that customers ring an 0800 0845 number because it looks good, its because its free and thats all and because customers assume that only a reputable company will use those numbers. What I am trying to get through to you is..... the sales technique of which people listen too.

I strongly recommend that anyone who sources a business NEVER go for ones that only have a mobile. Dare I state the obvious but I will anyway as not many understand why.

To contact a company only using a mobile means he generally does not wish his landline number to be given out. The reason for it is because 98% of those using mobile numbers are what we call in our industry "the travelling jo" that means he has no established premesis and is in fact a liability and if you have a problem, all he needs to do is change his pay as you go mobile number and your stuck. With a land line, you can inform the police if you have just been ripped off of £10 000 as they can trace that persons where abouts and they can infact deal with it a different way so the telecommunications act can help alot because there is in fact a clause regarding criminal activity. With mobiles, you do not need to register them and any bad company can change them as often as I change my thong which is daily.

Yellow pages do charge you for the freephone and local numbers set up hence why not many of their customers use it. Were you aware they tell you it costs £500 to set up an 0800 number? not true if your buying in bulk.

Its just another sales tactic to make money.

I would challenge Bt and yellow pages any time but thats because I worked for them.

ps if you know directories as well as i do in 13 years, and you know the telephone systems then it is simple

if your a BT paying phone line customer most on option 2 and 3 get free local calls anyway so to ring a local number is Free. Most companies seem to have forgotten this so to go for a local number or an 0800 number, its free anyway on option 2 and 3 so whats it all about?

Its about desperate directories needing sales and desperate companies needing to be seen and the fact is, a small web directory can without a doubt produce far better results than a directory that rings you up and if you an ariel fitter and hanging from a roof, last thing you need is some sales rep ringing you up eh! Why do businesses not learn to recognise thier own advertising needs and start taking control of what has never been thiers? are you all scared of advertising now? it looks that way because if i am offering you all a free advert, dont look at glam, look at what it offers you.

No offence but I think many companies have taken advertising for granted. They think getting thier business seen is about paying some company to do it for you, but reality has it as, the only person that can help you is a specialist or you do it yourself. You all moan about what your not getting, and trust me I do evaluate businesess big time,
your all to lazy to fill out a simple form to get you an advert free. What have you got to lose?

In my experience, you all want to pay for expensive adverts because you do nothing to support small and growing web based directories that know far more than you do. Dont complain, do something about it ok

[Teresa2084]

I am so secure that if you want a free evaluation on what your advert would have in its contents to get you seen, email me.

If you all moan about what is right and what isnt right then email me.

for directories (and i dont mean those slinging up urls to get you seen and not your customer) email me.

what i will say is...............

If not one person adds to 123trades.co.uk

in the next 24 hours, I willl strip that site and use it where its wanted.because why should i bother if you dont? on my main site alone i have 2 serious high profile well known businessman on my sites. I do care but i am not going to waste my money as a single mum to support your needs. You all seem to support men with new ideas and sites but not a womans? why is that?

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Teresa2084

You all seem to support men with new ideas and sites but not a womans? why is that?

That's a daft comment as you are the only contributor to this thread using a real name and the other three are anonymous user names so could be male or female - it just isn't relevant.

[mindblend]

This is may be getting a little heated, and it seems we may be speaking on tangents, Teresa.

Needless to say, I am biased in a certain direction because I sell memorable numbers, the ranges mentioned above and a few other bits and bobs. What you seem to be saying is that 0845 and 0800 make no difference, and its all a big scam by the directories.

You may be right on the latter. I don't know enough to comment on their offers, but what I do know is that companies spend thousands with me on single numbers, so I would say that there must be a reason there's a good market out there for them.

By the way, I am male and as you can see I'm not discounting your opinions at all...

Cheers,

Mike