I just finished a discussion with a co-worker about the merits of marketing/adversting online, vis-a-vis that yellow pages. Seriously folks, I had no_freaking_idea how much a yellow pages ad cost, even in Green Bay, WI.

A certain company pays almost $2000 for a 3/4 page ad in the yellow pages, amidst a blur of 4 page ads in a very crowded category - That's $24,000/Year!!! All of their ads say the same_damn_things. Fine, I get that...but there's NO WAY for them to track (OK, maybe there is a way, but seriously, how sophisticated to you want your average small business to be) Worse yet, the prices go UP every year! With, what I feel, is less return. (more people on web, less people in the pages)

I'm sure that there are ways to differentiate yourself in the YP, but why bother. Drop the size of the ad, and jam more of that budget into online.

I was almost angry when I heard how much the YP ad cost, I thought "what a damn ripoff" - just think what we could do with that in online marketing. A year-round combination ALL of the following ideas, used for a small, say 10 person local business, could be done more cost effectively and have have more impact than the Yellow Pages.

- Pay-Per-Click
- Targeted Microsites
- Personal Biz Weblog
- Permission e-mail marketing
- Banner exchanges
- Affiliate program with local complementory businesses
- Targeted online banner placements (on local high-traffic sites, in contextually appropriate areas)
- Sponsorships in other complimentory businesseses online or offline newsletters
- Do some online customer feedback/surveys to gain more intelligence about your customers - use to reinforce all of the above
- Promote your aforementioned efforts on all bills, stationary, biz cards, etc...
- Develop a Loyalty & Referral program, or at least facilitate said programs through your website and e-newsletters
- Do a few press releases on new services, new hires, or damn near anything that's press-worthy for your SMB

Although you and I may google "pizza green bay delivery" first, I think most people still open the yellow pages first. I always try the web first, and give first shot at my money to clueful business I find there. However, I frequently end up resorting to the yellow pages for local service type business when I don't find anything useful on the web (painters, electricians, etc).

You know Chris, I do that same thing for stuff like that, or to browse through which restaurants are in town. I'm not saying to eliminate your presence entirely, but when you're focused on the "results" that the YP bring in, I really think that there's more you can do with a portion of that money in multiple media (with a portion online) rather than stuffing it all into the YP ads, which I think are super over priced.

Hi Dana -- Figure I should probably chime in here as I've worked in the YP and online biz for the past several years. Believe it or not print YP still generates an excellent ROI ... which is why local business _have_ to advertise in the yellow pages. Most consider it a necessary evil. Necessary because it is how most local businesses attract customers in the final stages of the buying cycle. Evil because it can cost an arm and 2 legs.

Tracking results is as simple as sticking an RCF number in an ad which forwards to the real number. It's relatively inexpensive. Most local business have a good idea of the number of calls they can convert to a sale. Whereas most have no clue how many website visitors convert to a sale, if they even have a website. Think about it, yellow pages is one of the few mediums where the content is the advertising. It's the only form of advertising where there is signifiant demand for the advertising. There are 15 billion references to the yellow pages every year. In a few years search will overcome this number, but for the time being YP gets higher usage.

yeah i totally agree - YP prove to the average consumer that this company is safe - anyone can advertise on the internet - and for free!