By Natalie J. Armstrong,
www.MarketingMediation.com

You may find yellow page ads to be a good source of business, a huge waste of money, or anything in between.

I’m not a big fan of yellow page ads because
(1) I rarely hear of mediators or arbitrators who are happy with their results,
(2) if your ad doesn’t work, you’re stuck paying the bill for many months,
(3) the money consumed by yellow-page ads can be used in so many other ways, and
(4) web sites have taken a lot of business away from yellow page ads.

Even so, I know many resolutionists want an ad in the yellow pages. So here’s a look at the pros and cons — and mistakes to avoid.

First, the advantages: The yellow page directory published by the telephone company is usually THE complete source book for businesses with telephone numbers. That’s usually why people use the yellow pages — although the Internet is fast pre-empting yellow pages as the complete source.

Your prospect can learn a lot about you from your yellow page ad. It all depends on how much you tell him. If you have a large display ad, you probably have one of the first positions under your heading. This is because yellow page ads are in sequence from largest to smallest. Again, in comparison to the essentially limitless space that the Internet provides, be very careful to best use the yellow page real estate most effectively.

Within each size category, the ads are listed by seniority. So, if you’re a long-time advertiser, another advantage is that you get to maintain your forward position, while new advertisers with your same-size ad are added at the back.

Now, the disadvantages: One major drawback to yellow page advertising is that your ad is mixed among all your competitors ads. This means that your prospect may be attracted to your ad, but also he could be distracted by 10 or 20 other ads. The result is that he might never see your ad at all.?? This is why, if you decide to advertise in the yellow pages, it’s critical that your ad stand out and give the reader the information he needs to motivate him to call you at that moment.You might consider getting the most current book available and look at the other ads. If your competitors use an all black ad with white lettering, do the opposite.

Another disadvantage is that if your ad doesn’t work, you still have to pay the bill for the full term, usually at least 12 months.

Also, if you’re a new display advertiser, your ad will be added at the back of other same-size ads, so you won’t get the benefit of a forward position.

And here’s yet another disadvantage.Even if you’re a long-time advertiser, a new advertiser can get a position ahead of yours simply by buying an ad that’s larger than yours. So your seniority means nothing if a competitor buys a bigger ad.

Now, this may be the biggest disadvantage of all. Often, prospects looking for a neutral go first to the Internet and don’t open the yellow pages. In this case, you’ve wasted your yellow page investment.

Now, here’s the critical question many yellow page advertisers overlook:

Do people looking for your services regularly use the yellow pages?

Consumers looking for legal services sometimes use the yellow
pages. Resolutionists who get good responses from the yellow page ads are usually offering services in the areas of bankruptcy, divorce and family law, and personal injury. Even so, many neutrals in these practice areas do not get enough new business to cover the cost of their ad.

So before you assume the yellow pages will be a profitable source of new business, find out whether people who want to hire your services typically look in the yellow pages.
 
Now, here are 4 costly mistakes to avoid when writing your yellow page ad.

MISTAKE #1: Your ad doesn’t seize your reader’s attention. If your ad doesn’t grab your prospect’s attention, he won’t see your ad and he’ll turn the page. Try this: Open your yellow page directory to a page that contains several small ads. Notice which ad you see first. Your eyes are drawn to things that are large and dark.

Most of us have been told that the larger the ad, the more attention it will draw. But this isn’t always true. It isn?’t the size of the ad that makes the difference. It’s the size of the largest and darkest single element on the page. So if you want your prospect to see your ad, make sure your ad contains something large and dark — such as words printed in heavy type, a wide border, a photograph, an illustration or a logo.

MISTAKE #2: Your ad doesn’t tell your reader how he benefits. Your prospect won’t read your ad unless the ad starts with a headline that holds his attention. In most cases, you should appeal to your reader’s self-interest by promising him something he wants. If the reader doesn’t see what he will gain by reading your ad, he won’t read it. You should write your headline so it attracts the prospective clients you want to reach.

MISTAKE #3: Your ad doesn’t tell your reader how you differ from other lawyers. Prospects call you when they feel the benefits you offer outweigh benefits offered by other lawyers. These differences may relate to your qualifications, experience, services, location or client conveniences.If your ad doesn’t tell your prospect how you’re different, he’ll likely call somebody else. So make sure your ad spells out the positive ways you differ from other neutrals. Encourage the reader to log on to your website so that he can see an even better representation of the differences between you and the next best provider.

MISTAKE #4:Your ad doesn’t overcome your reader’s phone-call fear — or, in other words, his reluctance to call. It’s not uncommon. Your prospect has a problem, so he opens the yellow pages and writes down your name and telephone number. But he doesn’t call because your yellow page ad didn’t overcome his fears He’s afraid you may be too busy to talk with him. He’s afraid you may not talk with him on the phone.  He’s afraid you may charge more than he can afford. He’s afraid you may try to pressure him over the telephone.The list goes on.

To overcome phone-call fear, spell out in your ad that you invite telephone calls and that you’re happy to speak with people over the telephone. If your prospect doesn’t feel completely at ease with the thought of calling your office, he won’t call.
Natalie J. Armstrong is the Founder and Managing Director of Golden Media, a marketing and consulting firm dedicated to promoting the resolution industry. She is the author of The Essential Guide to Marketing Your ADR Practice and speaks internationally on business development and the successful marketing strategies of the conflict resolution industry. More ADR Practice Development articles and information about Ms. Armstrong and Golden Media can be found at www.MarketingMediation.com.