my favorite gary halbert newsletter...

11 years ago

Be wary of Halbert's advice on Yellow Pages ads. Based on a study of over 80,000 Yellow Pages display ads (all with metered lines) "advertorial"-type ads do poorly. (Remember... I'm talking Yellow Pages here and not advertorials that appear in newspapers.)

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Jason_V

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

Be wary of Halbert's advice on Yellow Pages ads. Based on a study of over 80,000 Yellow Pages display ads (all with metered lines) "advertorial"-type ads do poorly. (Remember... I'm talking Yellow Pages here and not advertorials that appear in newspapers.)

I'm actually pretty shocked at this to be honest. I'm trying to wrap my head around why exactly that is. However, being that I sold yellow page advertising I should know the answer. However, that test above at least makes me feel good that I'm not alone.

My instinct is telling me these types of ads wouldn't work because when people are turning to the Yellow Pages, it's usually because they have a problem or desire that needs fixed or fulfilled right now.

All they're doing is scanning the copy to see if what they want/need is in the ad. If so, the call gets made, if not, the scanning and skimming continues.

I want to go on record though and say that unlike most other reps that just let the graphic design department handle the ads, I actually did my best to try to make sure the ads would convert.

I made sure they had a good headline, I didn't waste valuable real estate in the ad with too large logos, too large business name, certifications, etc...I always made sure they had a strong call to action. I always tried to have a bullet list of benefits too.

I never understood why yellow page companies didn't have staff copywriters working with the graphic designers.

Nice copy with great graphic design work, would have ensured the businesses would get results, which would have kept them happy, and they would have never thought twice about renewing or even getting a bigger ad the following year.

Instead, they made us poor flesh pressers work to get the sales. Oh well, at least it helped hone my selling chops.

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MonteMichaels

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Jason_V

I'm actually pretty shocked at this to be honest. I'm trying to wrap my head around why exactly that is. However, being that I sold yellow page advertising I should know the answer.

I'm not because its a much different format than most other forms of advertising. When you are going to the yellow pages for something you need something. Either its a list of businesses who do what you need or its to find the number of a specific business.

Yellow pages aren't jumping at you to grab your attention. And when you have an issue you don't care that they wrote an article.

But you do care what they do. For example year or so ago we had our drain back up in the house. I don't know anyone from this town so I grabbed the yellow pages and went to plumbers. I didn't want or care to read an article.

The plumber I chose had not only put his credentials in the ad, but he listed his price, which I thought was reasonable. You never know what some of those other guys will charge.

Things like that are what yellow page people are looking for.

One of the best ways I've found to write a yellow page ad came because of that night. Pretend you have a burning desire to get whatever your writing about and whip through the yellow pages and see what catches you eye. What you would need to get your attention may not be in any of the ads.

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Jonwebb

11 years ago

Yes, I've never done advertising in yellow pages I applied what he said in other forms of advertising

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triedtruefitness 11 years ago

@ Mr. Subtle.

Would love to see that study. Got a link/source?
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SashaLee

11 years ago

Hi there,

Our only venture into Yellow Pages in America was an advertorial that flopped. Granted, YP was a dying medium for the niche but the same ad (essentially the same) pulled pretty well in newspaper ads.

All the best,

Sasha.

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Alex Singleton

11 years ago

I don't think people really use Yellow Pages any longer. Still, there are a lot of eyeballs reading local newspapers - and of course advertising rates tend to adjust depending upon circulation.

If you like Gary Halbert, you'll also love Drayton Bird, especially his book Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing.

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MonteMichaels

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Alex Singleton

I don't think people really use Yellow Pages any longer. Still, there are a lot of eyeballs reading local newspapers - and of course advertising rates tend to adjust depending upon circulation.

If you like Gary Halbert, you'll also love Drayton Bird, especially his book Commonsense Direct and Digital Marketing.

There are still a lot of people who use the yellow pages everyday. I don't myself, but I know different people who get their new copy and transfer the old copy to their car so they can use it there also.

Not everyone has a smartphone yet so you can't discount yellow pages and say they are dead until that happens.

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MrJman006

11 years ago

I would like to see the study mentioned above. Even if yellow pages aren't as popular as back in the day it would be interesting to see the numbers. As for the Halbert letter, I really like this one because he drives home a really good point. Paying money to get noticed in the yellow pages and then making an ad similar to everyone else is just not going to get optimal results. I'm not 100% sure I agree with the editorial style ad even though it does grab my attention more because when I am looking for a doctor, I am not in the mind set to read ads as much as find a phone number and heck even a price. (Most times I am looking in the yellow pages to call various offices to price check)

Also this is just my interperitation, but for those that say yellow page advertising doesn't work, I think Gary was directing this ad more at office style businesses and local businesses that you would typically find in the yellow pages. I have talked with businesses that do a majority of their advertising in yellow pages and they seem to do not too bad. Just my oppinion

- MrJman006

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Mr. Subtle

11 years ago

Years ago on Bruce Wedding's Copywriting Board there was a Yellow Pages thread to which I posted a Yellow Pages quiz (which was borrowed from an actual quiz given to Yellow Pages insiders at their annual convention). The first question was the one I posting below (names, addresses and phone numbers changed on the ads for obvious reasons).

The result was there were NO correct answers from anyone who answered the above question. ZIP. (Side-note: No worries ...Yellow Pages insiders failed the test too.)

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MonteMichaels

11 years ago

I can see why neither one of those ads really work all that well.

the first ones just kind of your standard yellow page ad. Nothing really unique there.

the second one is just a article that may or may not pertain to person that could be looking for a family lawyer. There's no unique selling proposition at all.

Generally when someone's using the yellow pages to find a certain service they have any they want to fill now. They want to know why they should higher that business.

Both ads have a big room for improvement.

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

Years ago on Bruce Wedding's Copywriting Board there was a Yellow Pages thread to which I posted a Yellow Pages quiz (which was borrowed from an actual quiz given to Yellow Pages insiders at their annual convention). The first question was the one I posting below (names, addresses and phone numbers changed on the ads for obvious reasons).

The result was there were NO correct answers from anyone who answered the above question. ZIP. (Side-note: No worries ...Yellow Pages insiders failed the test too.)

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deezn

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

Years ago on Bruce Wedding's Copywriting Board there was a Yellow Pages thread to which I posted a Yellow Pages quiz (which was borrowed from an actual quiz given to Yellow Pages insiders at their annual convention). The first question was the one I posting below (names, addresses and phone numbers changed on the ads for obvious reasons).

The result was there were NO correct answers from anyone who answered the above question. ZIP. (Side-note: No worries ...Yellow Pages insiders failed the test too.)

Mr. Subtle, why was there no correct answer? Did everyone pick only one?

If I had to choose the one that kicked the other's butt, it would have been B

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Mr. Subtle

11 years ago

Originally Posted by deezn

Mr. Subtle, why was there no correct answer? Did everyone pick only one?

If I had to choose the one that kicked the other's butt, it would have been B

deezn... you're not paying attention to the point I made in the thread are you? If you had, then the answer would have been obvious.

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deezn

11 years ago

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

deezn... you're not paying attention to the point I made in the thread are you? If you had, then the answer would have been obvious.

I do, and that's what I'm struggling with. You said earlier that advertorial style ads do poorly in the Yellow Pages. So that would say B didn't do well.

But then I look at A which is such a bad ad. It looks like every other lawyer (I'm a lawyer by the way so I am a tiny bit familiar with the industry) ad in the 35 pages that contain lawyer ads in the yellow pages.

Even though B is an advertorial, at least it niched to Family Law only. The ad on the left has both PI and Family Law (well at least that's only two, compared to the ads that list 12 practice areas).

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MonteMichaels

11 years ago

His point was that neither one outperformed, or did any better that the other one.

As Mr. Subtle had also said above, we are not talking about advertorials, we are talking yellow pages. And yellow pages is a completely different animal than other sources, such as radio or newspaper.

Originally Posted by deezn

I do, and that's what I'm struggling with. You said earlier that advertorial style ads do poorly in the Yellow Pages. So that would say B didn't do well.

But then I look at A which is such a bad ad. It looks like every other lawyer (I'm a lawyer by the way so I am a tiny bit familiar with the industry) ad in the 35 pages that contain lawyer ads in the yellow pages.

Even though B is an advertorial, at least it niched to Family Law only. The ad on the left has both PI and Family Law (well at least that's only two, compared to the ads that list 12 practice areas).

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triedtruefitness 11 years ago

His point was that neither one outperformed, or did any better that the other one.

Huh? I thought one ad outperformed the other by 238%?
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- MonteMichaels 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by triedtruefitness
  
  Huh? I thought one ad outperformed the other by 238%?
  
  The questions was worded that way, but there was no correct answer. That means that neither would have outperformed the other.
  
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  triedtruefitness 11 years ago
  
  I thought it meant every single person picked "B" but A was the winner. At least that's the way I took it.
  
  Guess now we wait for Subtle to waltz in and drop some knowledge...
  
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  Mr. Subtle 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by MonteMichaels
  
  The questions was worded that way, but there was no correct answer. That means that neither would have outperformed the other.
  
  HUH?
  
  A outperformed B by 238%.
  
  A is the correct answer.
  
  For those who need to be told twice (or three times) ... A is the correct answer.
  
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triedtruefitness

11 years ago

I can certainly buy the idea that advertorial ads don't pull well in the yellow pages. Makes sense -- people are in a buying mode and not looking for education or a two-step process.

But the idea that there was a study -- presumably built on the results of yellow page advertisers who are diligently tracking the results of their ads -- is kind of blowing my mind.

Maybe I'm underestimating the direct response prowess of your typical yellow page advertisers but I just don't see it.

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Andrew Gould 11 years ago

Originally Posted by triedtruefitness

Maybe I'm underestimating the direct response prowess of your typical yellow page advertisers but I just don't see it.

This isn't the one Mr. Subtle mentioned, but you may find it interesting anyway:

2011 Yellow Pages Metered Ad Study | YPM, Inc.
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matchoo77

11 years ago

These advertorials do work amazingly well....I found a case where a guy unfortunately used fake testimonials and got fried by the FTC. This stuff works...just be careful!

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2002/04/technobrandcmp.pdf

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Mr. Subtle 11 years ago

Originally Posted by matchoo77

These advertorials do work amazingly well.... This stuff works...just be careful!

matchoo ... please focus on the subject matter of advertorials in Yellow Pages. As I stated above:

Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle

...(Remember... I'm talking Yellow Pages here and not advertorials that appear in newspapers.)
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my favorite gary halbert newsletter...

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