Okay, you realize that print advertising in the yellow pages is STILL a
very powerful way to reach your local prospects. you have also
learned that editors can’t be trusted to be overworked
Yellow Pages Ad Designers. Those poor souls have to boot
Make about 20 ads in the yellow pages a day! how long can
spend on the design of your Yellow Page ad? Plus
more importantly, how much could they know about your
business different from its category? YOU must take charge!
Prospects don’t call categories; they don’t even call
business; They call solutions. successful yellow page
ads are those that speak uniquely and believably
prospect needs. Avoiding the following 8 crucial DON’Ts will help ensure your Yellow Page ad is the call of readers.
1) Your business name remains your yellow page ad
Headlines. For now!
After 100 years, one would think that the advertisers in the yellow pages
I would have already made it. But take a look at your directory
And of course, most advertisers STILL use their
company name as the title of your Yellow Page ad. appearance,
your perspective has a problem. The solution to your problem
is nowhere to be found in your name, your logo, or even your
Photo. Prospects don’t really care who you are! They
they just want to know who can best solve their problem. Square
your name and logo near the bottom of your yellow page ad
design, along with your other contact information. That is
where they belong, so put them there!
2) Hey I have a hole at the top of my yellow page ad
Design!
You have moved your company name below,
EXCELLENT! Instead, you must now develop and insert
the most powerful headline you can muster. run it on the
at the top of your Yellow Page ad design. Run it BIG and run it
BOLD. If your title is good enough, your
prospect may want to continue reading. If it is too good,
They won’t have many options. That is the mark of a truly great
headline. Promises a unique benefit that sets you apart
from everyone else in a meaningful way. Tell prospects… this
business care about me, they understand my dilemma…
THIS is the company to call!
To create your headline, lock down the entire world and
Imagine that YOU are the prospect facing the problem.
What are your feelings? What is the most important thing for you in
this time in need? Only when you can access your
prospects’ inner thoughts and feelings, will you be able to
craft an effective headline that really resonates with your
Target audiences. If you spend 10 hours on your Yellow Page
ad design, spend 6 hours on your headline. trust me it will
be well worth your time.
3) You have such a colorful yellow page ad, it’s
It’s going to fly off the page!
It is true that a colorful ad CAN draw more attention than a
single color ad BUT that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get
“more phone calls.” The only thing a bright yellow
The page ad is sure to create an incredibly strong pull.
sound close to your wallet. The color does not convince prospects
To call you; the MESSAGE in your Yellow Page ad convinces
prospects to call. If you’re determined to maximize your ROI,
forget the color! Instead, focus on your MESSAGE
and the overall effectiveness of your Yellow Page ad design.
4) Your yellow page ad design speaks to everyone, now
EVERYONE will call you… right?
Are you talking to everyone, trying to sell everything? Their
competitors have fallen into the same trap… they are screaming
the same words and images for EVERYONE. And when trying to
they sell to everyone, they end up not convincing anyone. Whose
Compete with everyone else in your category! Instead, size
a “unique place” in the market and garner a massive market
Share.
Here is an example:
Mr. Everybody is a plumber who, like everyone else, wants
attract as many customers as possible. Proudly lists 35
different services in the design of your Yellow Pages ad. Your name
it does, it does… from clogged sinks to total bathroom
renovations Now comes Mr. Waterheater. this wise
plumber decided he wanted to attract “EVERY water
heater replacement prospectus” in his city, so he designed a
very compelling ad that does just that. Speak ONLY to
the person whose water heater just jumped a big
drain. How did these two plumbers do? Unfortunately, Mr.
Everyone’s Yellow Page ad didn’t appeal to everyone because
your ad (like all the others) did not speak strongly to ANYONE. Do not
one paid attention. On the other hand, Mr. Waterheater
Strongly targeted Yellow Page ad powerfully connected to
your only target audience. Mr. Waterheater’s prospects felt
in the same way. In fact, it attracted so many water heaters
projects that you can now afford to run a second ad on
the plumbing rubric. This time, he has decided
target “ALL sewer replacements” in your city!
Savvy Mr. Waterheater understands the incredible power of
prospect targeting.
When you focus your Yellow Page ad mostly
desired customers, will attract and persuade
audience more successfully than ANY other ad in your
title. In other words, you will have eliminated the
competition. Very good, huh?
5) Body copy? No, in the yellow pages all I need is
Easy to read bullets!
Wrong! Bullet points do a great job of listing features, but
usually do not speak to the felt needs of customers and
Concerns: These are not easy items to classify. But more
customers are looking for a company where they can ‘feel’ the
best about calling and doing business with. If you like
whatever that business is, you’ll need copy that addresses the main
prospect’s concerns and that helps build trust
and trust
Not make mistakes; bullet points are good for outlining your
services. BUT, you also need persuasive copy that
enhances and substantiates the unique concept of the headline
You spent so much time developing yourself. Be concise, speak
clearly and explain how it differs from the rest. Spent
descriptive words that have a small shock value, not the
generic (boring) copy used by everyone else. talk to you
prospects in a positive and friendly tone, as if they were standing
right there in front of you. and throw all that away
self-absorbed WE, WE, WE copy. Remember, it’s all about
THEM! So do it… YOU, YOU, YOU!
6) I run a parcel delivery service… See all my pretty
Boxes?
Yes, your boxes are very nice. But hey, wait a minute! Everyone
the OTHER shipping service listings also have pretty boxes. So
much to differentiate itself from its competitors.
NEVER use “expected” images in your Yellow Pages ad.
Generic and obvious images do not convey your “unique”
benefits for prospects. They just put you in the same
playing field like everyone else. The only objective of your Yellow
The design of page ads is to first grab the reader’s attention and
persuade them with a powerful message to call
you. You can’t be successful saying and showing the same thing.
things like all the others. Don’t feel bad, many Yellow Pages
advertisers (and novice ad designers) do the same thing
wrong! It is not surprising that so many companies
complain about low response rates with their yellow pages
advertising.
Think about it from your prospects point of view. How will a
pretty box sets you apart from everyone else? As will be?
convey its most unique benefits? How will a box help?
motivate ANYONE to call you? you must choose
“unexpected” images that shake people’s brain cells, put it
stand out from your competitors AND convey your uniqueness
Benefits. Some may disagree and say… “But my pretty
The boxes tell people EXACTLY what my business is all about!”
That’s unfortunate. If you have a package delivery service
and the most exclusive BENEFITS it has to offer are
shipping boxes, you may want to reconsider freelancing. Remember, your unexpected photography or
the artwork MUST HAS) Be a flashy, flashy
image that… b) Strengthen your unique title
concept (benefit) and… VS) difference you
business of others, in a powerful and significant
path.
7) Call to action? I don’t need any stinky calls to action!
It’s a proven fact that more people will take action if you
TELL them exactly what to do. Tell them to call and make sure
to include a damn good reason. Say “Call right now for your
FREE and no obligation analysis!” And don’t hide your call to
action, place it right above your phone number.
Remember, prospects usually look in the Yellow Pages
because they are looking to give someone their business –
calling them! Make it easy for them to call you and give them a reason to call you , and they will call you. And isn’t that the goal?
8) My artist cousin said he can design my yellow
Ad Pages.
Expensive advertising is advertising that doesn’t work. Year
ineffective design will cost you much more in lost business
of what you will never be able to save in advance. the yellow pages
are a unique advertising medium and few people know how to
to create effective ads for it. Find a specialist!
Ask questions and get testimonials. Look for a genuine yellow
Page ad design expert with a strong track record of results.
Warning: If an advertising professional also sells:
Website design, SEO services, logo design, brochures,
illustration and marketing manuals, keep looking because
They are not specialists in direct response from the yellow pages.
Show your Yellow Page ads. Do they look like
impotent concoctions that your yellow pages editor
provide FREE? If so, keep looking for a professional.
that adheres to the strategies you just read. Then you
you can sit back and relax…you’ll be well on your way to Yellow
Advertising success pages.
Does your ad design in the yellow pages make their phones ring?
and the competitors cry? Or, has Yellow made you cry?
Blues ad pages? Let me know…