yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

[ziggy]

hi peoples.
i have me this small business that makes me a living. doing locksmithing. my question is about yellow pages ads. they are very expensive. and the original phone book here in lincoln are some real rape artists. every year they raise the price and tell me how lucky i am to be in their phone book, and what a deal i'm gettin and how much biz they are gonna create for me. well, i swore i'd never pay them creatons 1k a month, but i'm real close. i'd like to advertise somewhere else but in my heart i feel that if most folks would need a locksmith, they'd go to the yellow pages. and most likely the original local phone book. so if i tell the yellow pages people where to get off at, i may cut my nose to spite my face so to speak. i just feel i'm held hostage by these folks. there must be a way out. i don't work for myself. i work for the darn phone company. and i hate large, big business. always tellin me how great it is that i got them to help elieveate me of my hard earned dolloars....

i really hate to be in marketing. but it seems that ya must be if ya want biz, as there is no other way to get the word out that ya got something to sell. i've read that ya can be a crummy locksmith with great marketing and make it, or be a great locksmith and crummy marketer and fail. mostly i believe that. i've thought about alternitive ads. but folks don't think locks untill they don't work. then they want service yesterday. i just can't think of any alternitives that someone in need would be able to just locate me instantly, short of the yellow pages. that's where i go when i need a plumber.

thanks for letin me vent a little........had to deal with the salemen creatons yesterday and all they did was get my dander up........+ get me to sign on the bottom line. though they alledge i can back out prior to aug. 31st.

anyone got any ideas better than just biteing the bullet and takein it. ya'd think there'd be an alternitive. though i don't know what it'd be.....

 

[ndemge]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

Do you ask every customer where they heard of you at? Might be a good gauge of where your business comes from.

Taking the plunge to NOT advertise there is a year long gamble. And like you said, anywhere else you stick that advertising money may be a waste because nobody pays attention to it until they need it and won't remember the phone #.


hopefully you have some time before you have to bite the bullet again and can do some close research on every customer.

Personally, I use google and whitepages.com for everything, I couldn't tell you the last time I picked up a phone book. Lot of people use yellowpages.com... what does it cost there, how do you get listed there?

 

[bjcsc]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

Unfortunately, they've got you. There is no better place for you to be advertising (as a locksmith) and they know it. I recently dropped my ad down for the reasons you mentioned, I was spending just under 1K/month. I do have some advice for you. See if there is a competing phone book in your area, like "The Talking Phone Book". If so, their rates are usually a lot better. You can call them and see what their rate would be, and then call Bellsouth and tell them you got a better rate and are going to switch, unless of course they'll match it. Might work, might not. I was saving ~$400/month after threatening to switch. I scaled my ad in Bellsouth way down this year though - too much money. But as a locksmith, it's your best resource.

While people do use the internet a lot (and I do a lot of internet marketing as well) it won't produce nearly as well for a locksmith. Chances are, people are either locked out of their house, or their car, and will more easily find a phone book than internet access. The first big ad they see is who they will call. I do empathize with you, though...

 

[JB]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

My son carefully surveyed every customer for the first three years of his business (business telephone systems).

Year one: 90% of his customers found him in the Yellow Pages. 10% referrals.

Year two: 70% from Yellow Pages, 20% referrals, 10% repeat business.

Year three: 40% from Yellow Pages, 40% referrals, 20% repeat business.

Each year referrals and repeats went up, but the number of YP customers stayed about the same.

Two years ago he traded his proprietorship for a share in a larger company worth several hundreds of $K.

Seems to me that his YP ads got him off the ground and sustained him as the business grew too big for him by himself.

 

[roscoe]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

While downsizing your YP ad is an option, you would need to redirect the savings into other advertising.

One that comes to mind is a key chain, with your name and number on it.
What better place to put your number than right next to the keys?

Don't know how big your market is, or how many competitors you have, but they will dictate what alternative methods may work.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

One that comes to mind is a key chain, with your name and number on it.
What better place to put your number than right next to the keys?

Well, generally when people need a locksmith, it is because the keys are on the other side of the door.

 

[tommays]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

I can only say when we want something we need we do look in the Yellow Book

Tommays

 

[ziggy]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

thankyou for all the encourgement. but about like i thought. in the trade i'm in, it sure seems like the Yellow pages is a must have item. and yep, sure seems they know that too. i've not done an actual survey to see who is calling me from what sorce.( a logical corse of action i'd think) as i do have my ad in three different phonebooks in the area. that's another part of the problem too. who do you leave yourself out of? it seems to me that i could spend all my bread on advertisein and just work to pay the advertiseing. i can only work so hard. when i first started my biz, i thought about expanding as it grew. but it seems that i'm satisfied as a one man show. i have a bookeeper on retainer and that's about it. i like it like this too. so it's my own decision. i've also thought about downsizing the ad too. but there is mush compitition apperently as there must be 30 ads. full page to one liners. mines in the middle size wise, leaning towards smaller. less than a quater page. i guess i was hopeing to hear that people thought perhaps a www address might be a good idea. i'm thinkin that all the new elec. phones that access the internet, but i'm leary of it haveing enough vol., too many misses for folks that go the yellow page way. a sdie note is that the yellow page people will have my ad on line too. a photo of the actual ad.
unless i can come up with some kinda plan other than what i have, i'm not changeing just yet i guess. it is a hard question i think. one that also could require risk too. as i can't argue, as the yellow pages does create me biz.... it just don't seem right that i should be held hostage to their price increases just because they know the alternitives will not produce as well as the original lincoln area phone book.
i suppose the way i see it. is i need to do the www. while i'm doing the yellow pages. then i'll have time to assess what takes place and see if it'd be worthwhile to get off the yellow page thing.....
thanks for the comments.....i appricieate them all........

 

[mudball]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

Stay in the directories, but do it smarter. Smarter than the competition not just bigger. Promise potential customers one emotional reason to call you - for example "you can be absolutely sure your lock problem will be solved" Don't fall into the temptation of covering everything in one ad. (price, speed, dependability). Do consider trying different messages in the different areas you advertise in to see which message works better. Then refine from there. As mentioned above, word of mouth will eventually be your biggest asset...it might pay to investigate the web lists (like Angie's List) where your reputation is made by reviewers. Powerful stuff. Good luck.

 

[jrenard]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

Have you conidered an online ad or website? I know the first thing I do is Google it. There are several places to advertise online for free. Of course, the demographics of your area will determine the need. Are you more rural? Do a lot of folks have computers in your area?

Something to think about... probably cheaper too.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

I get a packet of small flyers monthly. "ValuPak" I think...I've looked at those a lot more than a PBook. But if I needed one, the book is probably be where I would look (IF I was on the right side of the door!)
Tough decision..

 

[aspeck]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

If you want to make sure your ad is viewed, and to check the results for next year, maybe put a line at the bottom of the ad, "Mention this ad and recieve a 10% discount." Or something like that. Then take care over the next year or two to see how many discounts you give for the yellow pages ad. If there are enough mentions to warrant the ad, then you know you have not wasted money over the years on YP advertisement.

I know YP advertisements and listings have worked for me ...

 

[ziggy]

Re: yellow pages advertiseing, marketing ?

cool, thank you peoples, more good ideas from boat folks.

goodness. that's three votes for a way to find out where the biz comes from. from asking that question to the customer to the 10% discount to mention the ad. maybe i'll at least start asking where they got my name from. incedently, the creaton yp folks will do that for me too. they change yer phone number to their number, track it's incomeing calls, then fwd it off to the regular number. same idea on their terms. i havn't done that as i like my phone number and it's been my number for 20+ years.
i've discovered that i'm three clicks to my ad on the windstream communications web site just searching locksmiths. it just has a pic of my ad. dex. another company has the same thing. but ya gotta know what phone book ya want to look in.

Are you more rural? Do a lot of folks have computers in your area?

not to rural. 1/3 million or so folks here. university town. most folks have computers. even my 76 year old mum....

if this is a general idea how most folks feel about where they find a company to do biz with. it sure seems i should not be tellin windstream where to get off at. just suck it up and put up with their price increases. guess the capitolistic thing to do would be to pass the extra cost off to the customer thru small price increases...... of coarse that only works to a degree, as there is 30 ads for locksmiths in lincoln. maybe not 30, but to many......

Promise potential customers one emotional reason to call you

that's an interesting idea. i do have a few things like that in the ad. like fast friendly service, and my only new idea this year to be added to the ad. unmarked van. my van is unmarked and i've had several foks comment that they like that idea so others ain't hip that their haveing locksmith service.....