Just got the new Yellow Book delivered for this year which has my first yellow pages ad. I don't like it when I compare it to others ads. I will NEVER listen to salesman again or trust the proofing dept. to make up my ad for me. If anyone wants to see it I can email it to you in a .tiff file. Email me at jfls40@yahoo.com I would like to get others feedback.

Jeff

I just posted a similar thing where they didn't make it exactly like we agreed on. I had a proof and it still came out wrong. Sucks at $700 for the ad

Joey, how long has your ad been out and have you received any phone calls from it yet?

Below are some articles on yellow page ad design.
"Making The Most Of The Yellow Pages" by Adams Hudson http://www.pmmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2379, 135036,00.html
"Yellow Pages Ads That Get Results" by Maurice Maio http://www.pmmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2379,41 50,00.html
The link below has some examples of yellow page ads.
http://www.max-effect.com/

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 04-18-2005).]

[This message has been edited by A-Line (edited 04-18-2005).]

Excellent Article of course someone always says mentions stuff like this after the fact. now i got to look at that crummy ad for a year

never miss an opportunity!

Look at it this way....you have a year to get everyone to tell you how to "improve" the ad....and to send them a "thank you" card when the new ad comes out! They'll be so proud, they might find some work for you :-)

This lesson taken from "My life in advertising." See Amazon, bookstores for a copy.

I scanned the whole page from the Yellow Book that my ad is on. I would like to email it out so I can get some feedback.

Jeff

jfls40@yahoo.com

2 things I want to through in here regarding the phone book adds.

1. Read and understand the "Terms and Agreements" that you signed. For the first time guys in the books, you will be suprised how they will try to screw you with these.
Read them again and again. I can't stress this enough.

2. The Attorney General has/is investigating and contacting EC in my area for deceptive advertising. It seems the popular advertising slogan around here was "30 minute service". Alot of guys put it as a headlining banner to attract emergency business. The AG found this to be deceptive, and I am told now you will only see "fast service" and no time amounts on the uncoming adds.

I had my Terms and Agreement faxed over to me, I can hardly read it. I guess I need to call them for a hard copy. So what basically happens if you fail to pay the monthly fee?

Jeff

You have to pay it.

The part I want to bring to your attention is: Even know the books are on the street for average of 12 months, you are responsible for paying that monthly rate for up to 18 months. If the new books coming out get delayed, you din't sign a contact for 12 months. You may have to pay them the monthly rate for up to 18 months. And be careful about the renewal process, I had a rep automatically renew my account after I told him not too. Seems he renewed my account to collect his commissions, and then left the company. I am still fighting this one, and this happened in July of 2004.

Once again, Read and understand the Terms.
They are a big business, they have no passion for little guys and attorneys will get expensive, they know that.

thank god my ad is only 45 a month

Results of Yellow Book ad: 1 call which I believe was someone using me to gather information for a DIY project... Never again. I have learned my lesson...

Phone book sales people are not copy writers. They hack out dozens of ads per day using standard templates. In fact, it's not to their advantage to create "good" ad because then all their other ads would be inferior.

As it happens, there's a phone book ad contest running right now where you can see and vote on professionally designed ads. By voting, you get to receive a copy of the report telling who won and why. The ads are for a plumbing contractor but the ad ideas apply to anyone in the service business. I suggest that you save all the ads to an "idea folder" for future reference.

go to http://www.ypcommando.com/ (there's good info on ad design there as well)

Randall

There is some great looking yellow pages ads there but I am wondering, this is for a plumber, someone who unplugs turds overflowing from commodes and picks hair from p-traps, looks like their trying to match a grand marketing scheme to get people to go on a carnival cruise...overkill wouldn't you say! I bet the yellowpages salesman loves to sell ads like that.

[This message has been edited by JFLS41 (edited 04-30-2005).]

[This message has been edited by JFLS41 (edited 04-30-2005).]

Jeff said: "There is some great looking yellow pages ads there . . . overkill wouldn't you say! I bet the yellowpages salesman loves to sell ads like that. "

No doubt you're correct -- and I'll take the blame for making it sound like full page was the way to go. My main point of posting the www.ypcommando.com link was to look over the ads, get some ideas and definitely vote on something so you can get the report. That report should/might/maybe give you some clues about the best way to get someone to pick your ad out of a crowd.

Hint: having "Electical Contractor" and/or "Commercial/Residential" in your YP ad is probably a waste of ink since you're already in the EC section.

I think that contest runs till the end of May so don't procrastinate.