Avoid These Pitfalls

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to good advertising is excess. Ads can end up so crammed with ideas and features that they appear dense and uninviting. If over-designed, they can be more artistic than motivational, obscuring the sales message. If over-written, they can become too subtle or cute. Certainly, some of the best ads ever created are clever and visually arresting, but good ads must also sell.

Similarly, selling points may over-promise. Use "largest," "best," and other superlatives only if you can back them up. Avoid any claim that could be construed as deceptive.

In addition, make sure the overall tone of your ad is upbeat and appealing. Emphasize the solutions you provide, not the problems you address. Get outside opinions on your new advertising concepts to be certain they carry the personality and message you intend.

Tracking Your Results

Establish a method to determine how customers found you and keep track of the results. Some companies routinely ask "How did you hear about us?" of every new customer who phones or visits. Others have a "Referred by" box on each invoice.

Whatever system you use, unless you've done a coupon promotion and can simply count the number of coupons redeemed, tracking is the only way you can assess how effectively your advertising is working. Tracking tells you which ads or media bring inquiries and which bring sales - a key distinction. If you track by invoice, you can also determine how much revenue each ad dollar is producing.

Most important, tracking helps you decide how to readjust your advertising program periodically to make your budget work its hardest. You'll know when to discontinue certain media and publications and when to pump more money into others. You'll be able to see which Yellow Pages directories and headings pull hardest for you, and you'll know when results are dropping off from previously good sources, signaling that it's time to give them a rest.

In the end, advertising is a trial-and-error process. You may need to spend several years trying out various advertising options and assessing results to know which target markets and media mix work best for you.

How to Create an Effective Yellow Pages Ad

Yellow Pages ads resemble no other kind of advertising. They're not aimed at motivating consumers to buy a product, but rather convincing them to buy a desired product from a particular company. As companies attract business by showing they've got whatever consumers may want, Yellow Pages ads also tend to be full of brand names and information.

The first thing your ad must do is get itself read. Here, your success depends partially on which Yellow Pages directory (or directories) you choose to place your ad. The bottom line is to get the greatest amount of exposure, so compare competing directories on the basis of their usage figures - not distribution figures, but the number of actual consumer uses per year. If you then divide directories' uses-per-year figures by their charge for the same size ad, you'll see which directory provides the highest number of uses per dollar. That's the directory that delivers the best value for your money.

Another key factor determining whether your ad will be read is the size you decide to buy. Obviously, the larger the ad, the more attention it gets. Once you select the heading or headings under which your ad will appear - and they should be headings for the products and services that give you the greatest profitability - open to those headings and see what ad sizes your competitors have. You can then choose sizes larger, on par with, or smaller than theirs, depending on budget constraints and the competitive stance you want to take.

Once you've decided on directories, headings, and ad sizes, concentrate on creating an ad that both attracts attention and stimulates customer response. Experts such as Jeffrey Price, author of Yellow Pages Advertising: How to Get the Greatest Return on Your Investment, say you can achieve those results by including the following in your ad:

• Attention-getting artwork. After size, artwork is the greatest eye-catcher for an ad. You can use visuals from your suppliers or even non-copyrighted artwork you locate in out-of-town or out-of-state Yellow Pages. Stick with illustrations whenever possible, since photographs may reproduce poorly. Keep areas of blank space around your artwork and throughout your ad as well, so your ad is uncluttered and easy to read.
• A headline that says what makes you special. Identify the special or unique characteristic that, for your target customer, puts you ahead of the competition. Write a short and to-the-point headline stating that advantage. If your headline must focus on just one of your products or services, choose the one that is most profitable.
• Complete information buyers need to make a purchase decision. Your ad must convince buyers that you're the best source for what they need, so support your headline with information, usually presented in list form, about your:
• Reliability (e.g., years in business)
• Authorized products and services
• Full range of product line
• Location (with maps, when helpful)
• Business hours
• Special features such as parking, credit cards honored, discounts, licenses, guarantees, delivery policy, and emergency services

Finally, try to get your ad placed in the most prominent position possible under each heading. Since positions are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, it's advantageous to finalize your contracts with Yellow Pages publishers as quickly as possible.

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