1. What are the yellow pages?
The yellow page directory lists all the businesses in a geographical area. It is one of the most powerful medium there is.
2. Why advertise in the yellow pages?
Yellow page ads are always there when people are ready to buy. In addition, they have almost 100% coverage and distribution of directories in any market. Almost everyone uses the yellow pages.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of yellow page advertising?
Advantages:
 a. 100 % coverage of the market ( main major directory and the other independent directories cover a market but have different usage. The two or three main yellow page directories get used more than the others.
 b. Every home and business has a yellow page book.
 c. Yellow page books are free to the users.
 d. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 e. Yellow pages are used when people are ready to buy.
 f. You can list lots of information, and logos in yellow page ads.
 g. Only advertising that can be found easily alphabetically
Disadvantages:
 a. Cost is very high
 b. When you buy a yellow page ad, you are locked in for a year.
 c. You can’t change or update your ad, it is the same all year.
 d. Biggest ads get best placement at the front of heading.
 e. Only certain kinds of businesses get good results with yellow pages.
4. What kinds of businesses get the best results from yellow page advertising?
Mainly service businesses like lawyers, dentists, chiropractors, orthodontists, plastic surgeons, pest control, carpet cleaners, plumbers, electricians, roofers, insurance agents, air conditioning and heating, etc.
What kinds of businesses don’t get good results from yellow page advertising? Doctors, accountants, manufacturers, distributors, entertainment, grocery, auto sales, and consultants.
6. Which of the different yellow page directories should you advertise in?
Henry Ford said, “I waste 50% of all the money I spend on advertising. The problem is I don’t know which half.�
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 a. Main dominate yellow page book in every market
 b. Other independent directories have varying degrees of usage.
 c. The best used books cost more per ad, the lesser used books cost less.
 d. Advertising in the dominate yellow page book first, independent books if there is budget left.
 c. Every book does not have the same usage.
 d. Don’t advertise in the cheapest directory
 e. track your yellow page responses, don’t waste money on the wrong book.
7. What are the different kinds of yellow page ads?
Alphabetical/ in column ads:
 a. 20% of all yellow page users look in the alphabetical listing rather than the display ads. 80% look at the display ads first.
 b. In column ads have small ads from 1 inch high and a column wide to a 4 inch high ad and a column wide.
 c. Can have logos, and color but no photos, borders, or other art.
Display ads:
 a. From one page to a 2 x 2 inch box ad.
 b. Can have photos, colors, logos, lots of information.
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8. What kind of yellow page ad to use, in column or display?
Display:
 a. Largest display ads are at the front of the heading. Full pages followed by ¾, then1/2, 1/3, ¼, 1/8, 1/16 ads.
 b. To get to the front of the heading you must buy biggest ads.
 c. Customers who have the same size ads, the customer with the ad the longest time over the years get first placement, followed by next senior customer advertisers etc.
 d. 80% of directory users look at the display ads before the in column. Most start at the beginning of the heading and work backward. Front biggest ads get seen the most. Most users don’t look past two or three pages.
In column ads:
 a. Ads appear alphabetically from a to z.
 b. In column ads are cheaper
 c. In column ads are easier to find
9. Ad placement strategy
 a. Front ads get the most views. Buy biggest if you can afford it.
 b. If there are not too many large ads (2 or 3 pages) ahead of you, a smaller ad like a half page ad could work very well. It depends on the number of large ads ahead of yours.
 c. If you have little money to advertise DON’T buy a small display ad. Your ad may be 10 pages back or so and no one looks that far back. It’s a waste of money.
 d. If a limited budget buy in column ads.
 e. YOUR BUSINESS NAME: If your name starts with a letter further down the alphabet, change it. (ex. AAA Cherry Plumbing, Able Cherry Plumbing, American Plumbing, etc.) Get as close to the front of the heading as possible. If the letters A-M are on one page and N-Z are on the next page you turn, GET ON THE A-M page!
 f. Display and In column ads can be used. (Example Flower Basket) reach both the 80% and the 20% users.
10. How to create a killer yellow page ad
Display ad:
 a. Get the best placement
 b. Analyze competitive ads and design yours to contrast them. (If their ads have lots of text in them, have lots of white space in your. If the other ads have lots of color, don’t use color. Etc.)
 c. Photos can be good for attention and to create an image (plastic surgeons) but photos of insurance agents are a waste.
 d. Large areas of color including black get attention. ( red spot)
 e. Put a list of everything you do or sell. You may think everyone knows you replace breaks, or do oil changes, but they don’t. List everything.
 f. Don’t forget to put phone number, web and email address, hours, address, etc.
 g. Use a well know land mark with the address ( Next to the McDonalds)
 h. Use risk reversal…guarantees satisfaction, 100% guarantee etc.
In column ad:
 a. Change your business name to get placed higher in the alphabet.
 b. Contrast – If other ads are all the same size, make your ad different size. If others have lots of text, have lots of white space, if other ads don’t have logos, put yours in, if other don’t have color, use color.
11. Position your business against the competition.
 a. How are you different?
 b. What do you promise to deliver?
 c. Why do business with you?
 d. So What Features: in bus 30 years, best service, lowest prices, dependable etc. Everyone does those.
12. Examples of USP or Positioning:
 a. Fastest. Cheapest, best service, friendly, dependable, guarantee satisfaction, etc.
 b. Tuff Shed
 c. Clarence Pollard “When you need me I’ll be there.�
 d. “We stack em deep and sell em cheap.�
 e. “On time every time or we pay for it.�
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