Tips For Placing A Telephone Book Advertisement For Local Businesses

When it comes to local business advertising, the first thing that many companies think of is telephone advertising. Some companies plan the majority of their budget around their telephone directory ad and rely on the advertising to bring in a substantial part of their new business revenue. If a business is considering purchasing a telephone book ad, there are several things to consider.

First of all, the telephone book ads are considered directional advertising. They target the buyer at a time when he's ready to spend money and buy. This is opposed to creative advertising like television or billboards. The good thing about the telephone book is that it will generate phone calls for a local business. But, it's a double-edged sword. When placing an ad in the big telephone book, a business has to expect a lot of calls from people shopping around. If the business is small and only has an answering machine set up to receive calls, the buyer is more likely to skip right on by to another ad. That is why when designing an ad, put all the pertinent information that people are most likely to ask on an initial call. Put the location, hours of business, the best selling items and website or email address. Because telephone book ads are a more permanent form, whatever is in the ad will be binding for at least one year. That's why most local businesses are advised not to put pricing in an ad unless it is a permanent price.

Telephone book representation is a must for most businesses, however the bigger sized ads are going to work better for businesses that sell directly to the public like plumbers, dentists, home repair and churches. Newcomers to the area have no one to go to get referrals and in the beginning must make their decisions based on the free books that are delivered to their door. While certainly more expensive, the bigger ads get the best results. If a big ad is too expensive, consider purchasing at least a dollar bill sized ad. These are always going to be placed on the outside of the page and will avoid the gutter syndrome of so many ads. Display ads will attract 74 percent of all callers, with in-column ads attracting 26 percent. Check out what the competition is doing and try going one size larger.

Telephone book advertising can assist a service-oriented local business. When used in tandem with local internet advertising, it can help a company to garner new clients. Plan both of the ad types carefully and listen to the advice of the sales representative before solidifying the copy.