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Advertising Information Channel:
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Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users A Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge for advertisers. All the competitors are packed together, within the space of a few pages. Each ad within the directory category screams "Notice me!" so insistently, they blend into an muffled chorus. It's not easy for one to stand out with a clear, distinctive voice - like a soloist above the choir. That only happens when the business is clear about expressing its unique "song," and understands what buyers most want to hear.
It isn't surprising that most Yellow Page ads say pretty much the same thing. They were all prepared by the same directory employees. What do they know about marketing? About copywriting? About what's unique and desirable about your enterprise?
The people making the ads "grind them out," using the same templates and guidelines for every ad, in every category. Originality isn't in their job description. Following the formulas for how an ad "should look" is a formula for being ignored.
These quick fixes cut away the bland sameness afflicting most ads. Disregard for now the related issues like the ad's size and placement. Such factors just amplify (or diminish) an ad's impact. A poor ad is still a poor ad, even if it's very large. Coupled with fine-tuned copy (its own topic), these fixes will improve the impact of any size of ad, for any directory heading.
Try these Quick and Easy Fixes
You don't have to be a designer or copywriter to make your ad stand out. You just have to understand your customers' unstated wants, so you supply precisely the information that they're looking for. And you need to know how you're different than your competitors. Set yourself apart, so you don't fade into the background, as most ads do.
1. Shrink the business name. That is NOT the most important part of the ad in the reader's mind. And it crowds out the space for information that that could sell them on you. Once you can get them to want you, they'll be able to find your name and contact information OK.
2. Ditto, shrink the graphics. They may be helpful to catch the eye initially, but add nothing to what directory users want to know. Images often distract from the ad's message, wasting its moment of attention on trivialities.
3. Provide a headline that hooks the readers' interest (the category or business name isn't one, but most ads act like it is). A strong, emotionally-charged headline pulls attention into the rest of the information. It makes people stop skimming and actually read. Provide a promise that hits their hot button in a way that applies only to you (but not every other competitor in the category)
4. Make the location easy to find. Half of all directory users scan ads for the business location first, and then only consider those ads which are convenient. Location of the enterprise overrides an ad's size or placement in the directory.
5. Display your expertise, along with a reason for buyers to seek out your specialized knowledge. Offer a booklet, class, in-depth information on your Web site, etc. This also establishes your credibility in customers' eyes, which is crucial to building sufficient trust to complete a purchase.
6. Buyers are hunting for information that can assist in making a purchase. When they open the directory, they're hoping to find a business that in some way communicates, "I'm the one you're looking for." Make it easy for them to know it's you, by giving ample information directed at their concerns. Organize it in bulleted lists.
7. Add your Web site address (domain name) and/or email address. Treat your Web site as a place to expand the size of your Yellow Page ad. Then state a reason why a person wants to check your site: www.mysite.com for 23 simple ways to keep your dog from over-eating Or www.myrestaurant.com for recipes to our award-winning desserts.
8. Arrange it all so the information flows logically, and to please the eye.
9. Eliminate images or phrases that appear in the other ads. Find a different, more interesting way to express it.
10. Don't let the directory do your ad for free. It will end up costing you too much.
The Ideal Yellow Page Ad
The very best ad is the intersection between what a buyer is looking for, and what a business provides. When a business is attuned to its customers' priorities and needs, it can say exactly what rings their bell. For example, a harried mother will respond with relief to the phrase, "Free Childcare Provided." That service carries no weight with a business person, who may consider "No extra charge for weekend service calls" the clincher.
What really makes an ad stand out is the specifics, not the generalities (which is what every other ad says). Visit www.yellowpagesage.com for advice from many experts about getting more mileage from your ad. Or obtain a customized critique of your ad, that eliminates the guesswork about what needs fixing.
Directory users are ready to buy. Simplify their lives by making your products and services so "just right" that choosing you is their only sensible choice.
--Dr. Lynella Grant, an expert in visual communication. How printed materials send signals that strengthen or undo the words. Author, The Business Card Book & Yellow Page Smarts http://www.yellowpagesage.com Off the Page Press (719) 395-9450
MORE RESOURCES updated Thu. May / 17 / 2012 TIME | Facebook Advertising Shows 'A Lot Of Potential But It's Not A Slam-Dunk' Huffington Post By Nicola Leske and Kate Holton NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - General Motors Inc's decision to stop advertising on Facebook may be a wake-up call for the No. 1 social network, but Top advertising executives say it's far too early to know if the site will ... Facebook's biggest problem is that it's a media company Is Advertising on Facebook Worth the Expense? Why I Lost My Faith In Facebook Advertising |
NPR sees sharp downturn in advertising revenue, leading to talk of cuts Washington Post Halfway through its fiscal year — and six months into Gary Knell's tenure as chief executive — Washington-based NPR has seen a sharp downturn in corporate “underwriting,” or advertising revenue. The falloff has led to projections of an annual ... |
 Globe and Mail | Does advertising on Facebook pay? San Mateo Daily Journal But ahead of the IPO, a debate emerged between two of the nation's largest automakers: Does it pay to advertise on the social network? General Motors, the nation's largest automaker, said it would abandon Facebook ads after concluding they were ... Companies ask: Does advertising on Facebook pay? |
 Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) | Skechers agrees to pay $45 million to settle charges of sketchy advertising of ... Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) By Rita R. Robison Kim Kardashian, fresh from a sweaty workout and pictured in a variety of steamy, suggestive poses, decides in a TV advertisement to dump her personal trainer. “It's not someone else, it's something else” Kardashian, a reality TV-show ... Sketchy ads? Skechers agrees to pay $50M to settle false-advertising allegations Skechers settles with WA over false advertising Shoe-maker accused of sketchy advertising settles lawsuit |
Viewers Want Choice, Control and Relevance from Online Video Advertising ... San Francisco Chronicle (press release) New York, New York (PRWEB) May 17, 2012 Vibrant Media, the global leader in premium contextual advertising, has released key research findings that determine what viewers want in their video advertising: choice, control and relevance. |
New Mobile iPhone Application for Location-Based Virtual Advertising Sacramento Bee By They Creative Advertising HOUSTON, May 17, 2012 -- /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- They Creative Advertising introduces Knibbler™ iPhone application, a location-based advertising tool for individuals and small business owners. Using the dynamic Knibbler™ ... |
Coca-Cola Dodges Federal False Advertising Claim Courthouse News Service By TIM HULL (CN) -- Pomegranate juice purveyor Pom Wonderful cannot pursue federal false-advertising claims that Coca-Cola's pomegranate blueberry drink contains mostly apple and grape juices, but it may be able to revive its state law challenges, ... |
 Sydney Morning Herald | Apple Moves to Dismiss Siri False Advertising Suit PC Magazine But Apple's main counter-argument appears to be its contention that the plaintiffs' complaints lack the specificity that would be required to back up their claims of false advertising—failing to provide "a single actionable misstatement" on the part ... Apple Responds to Siri Class Action Lawsuits |
 Street Fight | Local Ad Spending Moving More to Mobile and Online; BIA/Kelsey's Media Ad View ... MarketWatch (press release) CHANTILLY, Va., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- According to BIA/Kelsey's Media Ad View reports, local advertising spending will experience a compound annual growth rate of 2.6 percent between 2011 and 2016, with revenues climbing from around ... BIA/Kelsey: Local Ad Spending Moving More To Mobile And Online, Radio 'Holds ... Forecast: Locals Ads Hit $150 Mil By 2016, Trad Media Holds Social-Media Ad Spending to Jump to $9.8 Billion in 2016 |
75% of Advertisers Say Rest-of-Web More Important Than Facebook MarketWatch (press release) Methodology This multiple-choice online survey was distributed to 2177 brand marketers and advertising agency representatives. It was conducted in March 2012, and results were analyzed and validated for statistical significance in April 2012. |
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