I get so bored reading the same responses to marketing questions "don't do this it doesn't work".
Ken, we DO think a lot alike! I'm glad you're not in my market. But at least we'd be in good company.
The problem here is that most people confuse advertising with marketing, and don't understand the concept of putting together a complete marketing plan. Let's look at this logically.....If advertising in the YP didn't work, there would be no book! Newspapers wouldn't exist and there would be no radio if advertising didn't work. I will agree, however, that markets with a greater saturation of competitors offering the same service have a greater challenge in receiving response from their advertising efforts. Let's take the YP for instance. I have personally viewed YP ads for our industry on the internet, in markets throughout the country. I did this for research when developing our ads. The most common mistake I see is that the ads try to convey WAY TOO MUCH INFO. in their display ads. Very little "white space" as well as very unprofessional logos and/or layout. This is why Ken suggested having a professional do your layout rather than the YP salesperson. I just completed our layouts for two of the four YP books we advertise in, and they have about half the text content compared to our first season ads. Three things are prominent: Logo, Phone & Graphics (pics).....very little other wording. Granted, we're in a low competitive saturation market for PW, but I know when a prospect picks up that YP to look for a contractor, I'll be one of the calls they make. Moreover, if they call me first, 75% of them won't call a competitor. Why? Because someone is answering that phone call, the message is relayed to me and I get back to them within minutes. This is another reason a lot of you may believe YP doesn't work. If the majority of your incoming calls go to voicemail, 90% of YP prospects will call the next number (your competitor), until they get to speak with a live person. If that "live" person is skilled on the phone (like me), they can get the prospect to quit calling the others. Remember, when someone starts looking in the YP for a service or product, "THEY'RE READY TO BUY!!!" They're about the "hottest" lead you can get! They want what you got and are looking for your expert advise.
A word on ad content! Too much info and not enough white space makes for a bad ad! You don't need to list all 50 or more of the possible things you can pressure wash. I see this all the time. Example: "I'm Joe Homeowner and my patio is full of green stuff, and it's slippery when it rains. Because PW'ing seems to be a logical solution, I'll look in the YP under PW for someone to help me."
There's enough general, consumer info out there on PW, that most people have some general idea of the things that can be PW. They ALL READY KNOW they need a PW contractor. If your YP ad is so convoluted with info that it gets lost in the page, your chances of getting a call is slim. If you have some "specialty" or "differentiation" other than what EVERY PW IN THE WORLD DOES, target that.
Currently we spend about $7K a year in the YP. Our ROI is approx. $5 to $1. Our overall advertising budget has a $7.5 - $1 ROI. That's a great ratio. Granted, I'm in a smaller saturation market, but all things being equal, my competitors would do better if they had stronger marketing efforts.
Sorry I rambled, but I've been wanting to respond to this type of post for quite a while. ALL types of advertising work for EVERYONE. Don't blame the particular venue for lack of success. A well thought out marketing plan does not have to be expensive. Obviously you have to work within a budget. And yes, certain things like door hangers, direct mail, etc. all work better in certain markets. The success (or failure) of any particular marketing effort is usually not the medium itself, but rather the content. Timing and follow up plan also play a part.
Good Luck to all!
