Marketing Professionals have been predicting the demise of printed yellow page directories for years. They claim local search results from the likes of Google and Yahoo!, along with digital versions of the big yellow books will mean the end of the phone book.
Traditional yellow page directories have some serious flaws, of course. The cost is exorbitant. Ads are not editable. A print ad is a one way conversation with no way to measure your success, or even to know if you re reaching your target audience. And the reach of the yellow pages themselves is shrinking, with more and more consumers opting out of receiving them. There s even a movement to do away with printed yellow pages completely.
Where does that leave your ad?
Many print directory publishers are moving to the Internet, as is to be expected in this digital age. Should you follow their lead and continue to advertise on this new medium? That depends on your advertising goals.
Just like with print directories, you will need to know who your target market is, how they will be looking for you, and what your overall purpose is before embarking on a new digital advertising adventure.
If your target market is over 70, you may not have much luck with online advertising. The older generations are much more likely to have a phone and to continue to use printed yellow pages. If your target market is younger, then it s likely that 83 use a search engine first when looking for a local business.
What about your purpose? Do you want to drive traffic to your own website, or just get your phone number out there so people know how to reach you? If you are trying to drive traffic, make sure your yellow page directory will allow you to link back to your own site. If you are only trying to get your name and number out there, a good place to start might be Google local directory listings, which are free and simple to set up.
Once you ve decided to place an ad in an online directory, you ll need to compare the variety of options available. Some questions to ask include
* Can you change your ad during your contract?
* Can you list your business in multiple categories without additional charges?
* Can you delete your ad if you find it doesn t work for you?
* How much ad space are you allowed?
* How does the publisher help to keep your listing on the front page of search results?
* Does the publisher offer anything of value to visitors besides directory listings?
* Will there be generic ads along side your ad, competing with your ad for clicks?
How will you track your yellow page marketing efforts?
You ve no doubt seen those ads that say mention this ad and get 10 off your first order. Advertisers do that to measure the success of their advertising plan. With an online ad it can be a little easier. Your yellow pages publisher can probably tell you how many views your ad gets, and if you have a business website you can track how much traffic comes from your yellow pages listing. This is especially important if you advertise in more than one directory.
The yellow pages are not dead, but they are certainly changing. Make sure your marketing plan changes as well, or you ll be left behind.
Author Resource:
In Area Code (http://inareacode.com ) takes yellow page advertising to new heights by allowing advertisers unlimited space to communicate with buyers rather than limiting them to a one way conversation.
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