Smarter Yellow Page Advertising - Part 2 - Choosing a Heading

We also call headings categories. Either way, you need to comprehend the importance of being in the proper place so the right customer can find you. It sounds easy enough. Perhaps you are a full-service plumber. You place a large ad under, "Plumbing-Repair" and you're done, right? Not so fast. Do you work on drains and water heaters? Of course, you say. Doesn't the public realize that? Maybe they do but maybe they don't. Do all plumbers take credit cards? Most do but they still say it in their ads. It's because a little reinforcement can never hurt. So your only ad says "We do drains and water heater repair." What if Mrs. Smith has a leaky water heater. Will she go to plumbers heading or look under Water Heaters?
The same is true for a broken washing machine. Which is it: Appliance-Major Repair or Washing Machine Repair? If you can afford only one, how do you decide and what if only 25% of your potential customers go to the heading you didn't pick? Can you afford to loose one out of every four customers? Would it kill you to place a small ad under the lesser heading? When I had an advertising agency, my main ad was of course under "Advertising Agencies." But I also did some package design. I noticed that no one was listed there and the rep said it was obviously not a well-used heading. So I tried a small, one-liner. I made $5000 off that $25 ad the next year. Within four years, there were 10 listings like mine. Someone recognized the potential like I had done earlier. Never underestimate a lesser-used heading. You can spend far less where there is less competition and isn't that nice?
I use the fishing analogy. If the fishing is great at the lake, be there. But why not poke a pole into the creek now and then to see what bites. Maybe a huge fish is lurking and growing where no one has snagged him yet. It's worth a try. Just be sure to cover all your bases and track your results. If you do many things, rank the order of the things that are most profitable and that's where you place your ad. I had a florist that made more profit on silk flowers, but had only an ad under "Florists." When they placed an ad under "Flowers-Artificial and Silk," customers realized it was not only a convenient location, but they could compete with the larger stores in price because of their low overhead.
To recap, scan all the potential headings and don't be afraid to place an ad where there are only a few. Track the results so that you know which heading is bringing in the most profit, not the most customers. Then read my next article on how to choose the right size. So, how would I know so much about Yellow Page advertising? I was a top directory sales rep for 25 years and have a degree in advertising. I've also written a terrific book for even more cost-cutting tips. It's called, "Inside the Yellow Pages," on amazon or go to my website at poweradbook.com and enjoy the savings.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He authored a book about his directory years, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com and he is officially retired.

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