I’m surprised I’ve got to write about Yellow Pages. I’m surprised they still exist.
The issue isn’t so much how yellow pages promotes itself, reaches out to businesses, and pays people minimum wage to ship the pages to people and businesses that don’t want them. No. What amazes me is that businesses still use them to advertise. Perhaps they think they might as well since so many other businesses have pulled back. That thinking begs to be written about.
When starting a business or working on growing it, you’re presented plenty of options that are small investments with small returns. You may shrug them off or you may run with them. After all, there’s little to lose. Right?
Wrong. This “Yellow Pages Method” leads you to spread yourself thin. It gives you a false sense of successful marketing. It distracts you from the people you’re meant to focus on, the people who care, the people who seek you out on purpose rather than come by you on accident.
Having a business name that starts with A doesn’t get you extra business anymore.
The other issue with choosing to advertise in Yellow Pages is many do it simply because it’s what they recognize. Again, this action defers the question: is the Yellow Pages what your target market recognizes. Not you. Your target.
It pays to remember businesses don’t survive because of Yellow Pages, Yellow Pages exists because of businesses inability to devise a marketing plan that matters.
One last statement about Yellow Pages, the print version: it’s not a product anymore, it’s an advertisement. The tangible product keeps Yellow Pages on your mind for when people (like me) write about them or mention them, you still recognize it. Perhaps you may come across their online version. Then the question turns away from business owners to the marketing successes and failures of Yellow Pages.
Stay Positive & Would You Say Shipping The Hardcopies Is Good Marketing?
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