Summary: not quite yet.
But it is that time of year when we get approached to review our Yellow Pages contract. As this can add up to some big $’s, we took some time to review our marketing strategy and the role Yellow Pages plays.
I honestly don’t know if we’ve ever got a contract from the Yellow Pages. But I do know we get sales from the following:
- referrals from happy clients
- our web presence
- trade shows
We do get a fair amount of cold calls – which I imagine are folks calling up all the geothermal guys in the neighborhood to get a collection of quotes. They likely saw our number in the Yellow Pages. But, is there any value in having the biggest ad in the Yellow Pages? Not sure. I think individuals approach this all differently. Most of us want someone locally. Most of us want reassurance that the contractor is doing what we are looking to get done. That can be done in a very small ad.
That’s what we decided anyway. That social networking is far more important than static advertising – something that Yellow Pages can not help us improve.
Where we sell ourselves is in knowing what we do; doing good; and never leaving any client unsatisfied. Keeps us busy enough.
As an employee of Idearc Media, I would recommend you look into our SuperGuarantee available in print in the Verizon Yellow Pages, online on http://www.superpages.com and via direct mail.
We guarantee the work of service-provider clients, where – if there is a problem – we will step in to try and make it right. If we can’t, we will cut a check to the consumer for up to $500.
I would also recommend, wherever you end up, asking about call tracking. It is available and lets you know about the ROI.
Thanks,
Andrew Shane