Do Yellow Pages Still Work in America?

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - June 19, 2013 - PRLog -- These are some tough times for the Yellow Pages industry.  As the consumer heads to more digital sources, yellow pages usage is heading down.  Coupled with the fact that some cities are mandating that the publishers either have an opt out policy or will not let the books be delivered due to recycling issues.

The old matron of local search is still a viable medium in some cases.  It depends on the industry, location, and amount of competition.  Some consumers and thus the industry have shifted to digital advertising.  Industries like Auto Dealers, Insurance and Real Estate have migrated to the Internet leaving the yellow pages in the dust.

Location is also a big factor in Yellow Pages usage.  The more internet savvy the consumer, the more yellow pages usage is lost.  The Silicon Valley is a perfect example.  With so many consumers wired up, the consumers have learned different methods to find a dentist, plumber or attorney.  The converse of this is also true.  In parts of the country that are not as digital, yellow pages usage has remained stagnant and can still be a good value.

The good news for the advertiser is that in some areas there are less ads in the yellow pages. Fewer ads mean less competition for the advertiser.  Instead of competing with twenty insurance ads, now there may only be ten. The pie (market share) may have gotten smaller, but the slices are bigger now.

So how do you know if yellow pages are bringing you the value and customers you need?  A simple answer is to ask all your new customers on how they found you.  However, for most small businesses this just does not get done and is hard to do.  Many of the employees of small business can’t get the motivation or training to get this marketing information.

The most reliable method is to get a call tracking telephone number. Most of the major yellow page publishers will offer it for free.  They know they now need to prove the value of their medium.  Ask them to provide you with the number after the tracking is over so you have control over your telephone numbers.

In the future, I will go over what numbers on the call tracking reports are important.  In some cases you will be shown numbers that are over estimated.  Look for unique callers that last over 10 seconds.  Also look for telemarketing calls.

Yellow pages are the original search engine.  She may run slower now, but she can still work given the product is priced right.  Ask your publisher for the best bundled rate and see if it makes economic sense for your small business

Mike Muskat

Mike Muskat is the founder of  Muskat Marketing a San Francisco  Bay Area Marketing Agency.  He works with Small Businesses to bring them optimum marketing results.