Thread: Opinions requested (please) on Yellow Pages Ad size

I'd appreciate knowing what you guys think. I've always had a small Yellow Pages ad. They seem so expensive for what you get, especially in this day and age where it seems very few people look to the Yellow Pages like in the days before the internet. Quite frankly, the calls I get off that ad seem to be strictly price shoppers or others you wouldn't want to deal with. However, I can't help but notice that the guys with the big ads seem to keep them every year. I have to conclude that either they are working for them, or that they do not track their job leads and don't really know that they are throwing money away. I track all my leads, and my YP ad is WAY down the list in terms of jobs generated. Unfortunately, it's at the top in annual cost. Perhaps stupidly, I'm actually considering a bigger ad, but unfortunately, there's no money-back guarantee if it doesn't produce.

Strangely enough, I don't feel comfy asking my local competitors if the bigger ads work, so I'm asking you guys. Do bigger ads definitely work? And if so, has anyone quantified a "sweet spot" where there is the best ratio of cost vs. business generated? I realize that this will vary due to several factors, but any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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Even though I am not sure what you consider a bigger add. I have an add that is about a credit card size with full color and cost me $184 a month. One job can pay for that advertising and more. Home inspection companies around here do not do a good job answering their phones, so answering the phone is a large plus. Being professional is where we hook them.

Does a larger add attract more business? In my case yes. It places my company second in the phone book and has my hours plus my website address.

Around here, it is actually cheaper to have the larger add then the small add.

Just out of curiosity, what is the size and cost of the add you are looking at getting?

[quote=Kevin Luce;23574]Even though I am not sure what you consider a bigger add. I have an add that is about a credit card size with full color and cost me $184 a month. One job can pay for that advertising and more. Home inspection companies around here do not do a good job answering their phones, so answering the phone is a large plus. Being professional is where we hook them.

/quote]

The ad size obviously varies with market size or some other factors. For an ad that size here I was just quoted $574!
My main problem with YP callers is that most of them are not very concerned (if at all) with your qualifications or professionalism. If the next guy is $5 cheaper than I am, that's where they go. If the guy they call after him is half the cost, they use him and assume the rest of us were trying to rip them off! I don't want that caliber of client.

Billboards. I like billboards. Really huge billboards right off of the freeway. With my face plastered all over it. Well, it works for a local real estate agent, why not me.

I only have my name in the yellow pages. No fancy ad. I am busy enough that an ad would just mean turning away more callers.

[quote=Kevin Barre;23575]

Originally Posted by Kevin Luce

Even though I am not sure what you consider a bigger add. I have an add that is about a credit card size with full color and cost me $184 a month. One job can pay for that advertising and more. Home inspection companies around here do not do a good job answering their phones, so answering the phone is a large plus. Being professional is where we hook them.

/quote]

The ad size obviously varies with market size or some other factors. For an ad that size here I was just quoted $574!
My main problem with YP callers is that most of them are not very concerned (if at all) with your qualifications or professionalism. If the next guy is $5 cheaper than I am, that's where they go. If the guy they call after him is half the cost, they use him and assume the rest of us were trying to rip them off! I don't want that caliber of client.

Kevin,
Seems to me that you are answering your own question with your last statement...

You are saying that you don't want that caliber of client, but yet you (by taking on a larger ad with bigger expense) are trying to attract more of that caliber of client. Make sense?

rr

Kevin,

My first year in business I advertised in the Yellow Pages. I did not get good results. The calls I did get were just rate shoppers. I canceled my ad the second year and have never done it again. I rely on word of mouth references, web site, and a select group of Realtors and mortgage brokers I have developed a relationship with. I think, in my opinion, that this type of marketing is a waste of money in my area at least. Most folks don't even open the book bound yellow pages any more. I know I don't except for the copy I carry around in my truck when I'm on the road.

Hope that helps.

Tim

I carry a line ad in Bold print. Thats all I'm paying for. I want persons to find my name only if they need it. Once they call, I'll sell the job. Don't need an ad to do that.

rick

Originally Posted by Kevin Barre

I'd appreciate knowing what you guys think. I've always had a small Yellow Pages ad. They seem so expensive for what you get, especially in this day and age where it seems very few people look to the Yellow Pages like in the days before the internet. Quite frankly, the calls I get off that ad seem to be strictly price shoppers or others you wouldn't want to deal with. However, I can't help but notice that the guys with the big ads seem to keep them every year. I have to conclude that either they are working for them, or that they do not track their job leads and don't really know that they are throwing money away. I track all my leads, and my YP ad is WAY down the list in terms of jobs generated. Unfortunately, it's at the top in annual cost. Perhaps stupidly, I'm actually considering a bigger ad, but unfortunately, there's no money-back guarantee if it doesn't produce.

Strangely enough, I don't feel comfy asking my local competitors if the bigger ads work, so I'm asking you guys. Do bigger ads definitely work? And if so, has anyone quantified a "sweet spot" where there is the best ratio of cost vs. business generated? I realize that this will vary due to several factors, but any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

When you are looking for something where do you look? I would say that now a days most look on the Internet. Google has taken the place of the old Yellow Pages. I would invest the money on my website. With what you will spend for a Yellow Pages ad, you could have a kick ass website.

Ditto what Scott said. I just met with my local Yellow Book rep. today. I have a one line listing for about $120 per year. What really irritates me is that we now have 3 books in my town. I work a pretty small town, and there is absolutely no need for three different phone books. If I am going to spend $100 / month, it's going to be on boosting my web site listing and search engine results, not spreading it over three different yellow colored pages.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

When you are looking for something where do you look? I would say that now a days most look on the Internet. Google has taken the place of the old Yellow Pages. I would invest the money on my website. With what you will spend for a Yellow Pages ad, you could have a kick ass website.

I agree completely. Everything I am reading confirms my gut instincts. My current YP ad is "only" (according to the sales rep!) $73 a month for a tiny ad. My website outproduces it it by a very wide margin at FAR lower cost. I am just trying to make sure I cover all bases.

My experience exactly parallels that of Tim's:
"I rely on word of mouth references, web site, and a select group of Realtors and mortgage brokers I have developed a relationship with. I think, in my opinion, that this type of marketing is a waste of money in my area at least. Most folks don't even open the book bound yellow pages any more. I know I don't except for the copy I carry around in my truck when I'm on the road."

Thanks for all the input.

I dropped YP ad 2 years ago and haven't missed it. Only calls were from price shoppers.

My yellow page ad, first a small one (smallest available) then just a 1" in column ad, simply stated "We are your best friend, their Realtor's worst nightmare."

I only carried the small add at first simply so I could answer 'yes, I am in the yellow pages' (but remember, that was around 1990-93, before the internet became practical for anything other than text).

I then went to the in column size just so I could keep my statement out there.

While I did not get 'shoppers' or even very many calls from my ad, those who did call always booked their inspection as I was exactly the kind of person they were looking for. By around 2000 I had dropped back to just a simple listing - I'd had my fun with the yellow page ad and had transferred that saying over to my website ... in big bold letters where you could not miss it.

Originally Posted by Gunnar Alquist

Billboards. I like billboards. Really huge billboards right off of the freeway. With my face plastered all over it. Well, it works for a local real estate agent, why not me.

I only have my name in the yellow pages. No fancy ad. I am busy enough that an ad would just mean turning away more callers.

How much does it cost for billboards in your area? Local billboards cost around $700 a month when I checked into it about 5 years ago. The billboards on highways were much more.

Scott Patterson - Google has taken the place of the old Yellow Pages.

Scott, I understand what you are saying in that comment but I don't understand what the difference is between somebody that is searching the internet or the phone book when it comes to price shopping. In both cases, they are interested in getting a home inspection and it's our sales skills (written or verbal) which can set up those calls. I've had many people call back because of what we said and how we said it, even though we were not the cheapest.

Just like most of us, we are not looking for the cheapest price no matter what, but a good price for the value. It's our job to sell the buyers calling us why our service is worth that price. If home inspectors say the same thing as the next home inspector, why would that caller use somebody that charges more.

I will never blame the competition for the success or failure of my business. In my opinion, if a business is failing, it's because of the owner making poor decisions or lacking certain skills.