Posted : 11/01/2002

Posted : 11/01/2002

Americans Still Turn To The Yellow Pages

by Scott Eric Barrett

Yellow Pages advertising may seem like an archaic method for getting the word out about a business, but the Yellow Pages still are a significant player in the world of small businesses such as tanning salons, even in the multimedia-heavy 21st century. That's why salons should give serious thought to the size and design of their ad.Teri Kerns, co-owner of The Tanning Place in Lincoln, Neb., says her salon's results with Yellow Pages ads always have been very positive. "In our area, a Yellow Pages presence absolutely is necessary if you want new clients," she says.

Matt Russell, manager of Tan Larue Tanning in Montrose, Calif., has been running Yellow Pages ads for 16 years. Advertising with Yellow Pages ads is his best form of advertising, he says.

"I think every salon should use the Yellow Pages for advertising," he says. "It's just a smart, cost-effective method. How else are people going to hear about your salon? Also, the bigger the ad, the better the results. I have run a half-page ad every year, and I think it has made all the difference in the world. When you're looking for something in the phone book, don't you usually call the biggest ad first? I know I do."

Simply Complex

While the classic Yellow Pages books might seem simple at the surface, this is a complex form of marketing that requires a lot of thought and planning. According to the Michaels/Wilder Group, a marketing and advertising agency with a Yellow Pages focus, 81 percent of consumers agree that they start at the beginning of a heading when they do not have a firm in mind; 70 percent of consumers usually look at the larger ads in the Yellow Pages when they are not sure where to make a purchase; 66 percent of all consumers view businesses with larger ads as having an established reputation; 76 percent of consumers say Yellow Pages often influenced them to contact a business they had not considered before looking in the Yellow Pages; and 83 percent of advertisers agree that Yellow Pages reach customers not reached by other media--people already in the market to buy. They have to be done right to get those kinds of results.

"We've found that getting too detailed can confuse clients," Kerns says. "Even though we, as salon owners, know the importance of what we're trying to convey in the ad, giving a too-detailed description of our equipment or our packages isn't always necessarily what will draw in the clients. They want to hear what our services will do for them. Why will our beds tan them darker? Why can they tan faster in our beds?"

Design Essentials

When designing her yearly ad, Kerns puts herself in a potential client's shoes. "It's important to take a customer's perspective," she says. "You have to think about what a customer would find inviting about your salon and what it can do to make a customer's life easier."

According to Russell, the key to designing a good ad is consistence.

"In your ad, you need to be sure that the largest words are your salon name and salon phone number," she says. "Also, be sure to add in the features that make your salon different, but don't add too many. People can only take in so much." She adds that it is important not to let the Yellow Pages sales representatives intimidate you.

"You know your market and you know what it will take to get clients to walk in your doors," she says. "Don't let the rep who also is working with 200 other clients dictate what is in your ad. Make a list of your strong points and what separates you from the rest of the salons in your market, and begin designing your ad text from there. Stay away from clutter and stay away from throwing too much information at the reader. Focus on your strong points."

Kerns says sales representatives are the only negative part of the entire Yellow Pages advertising experience.

"They want you to make quick decisions because they are working with many other clients," she says. "Because of this rush we've had more than a few years where our ads were printed with typos and wrong information. Each year, I hold my breath until the book comes out, hoping it looks the way I requested."

The price for a Yellow Pages ad varies with each market. Kerns has tried small ads before, and although the response was satisfactory, she knew her salon could get better results with the larger ads.

"This year we moved back up to a quarter-page ad, with full color and a white background," she says. "It's costing us just over $500 a month. Each year thereafter, we can expect about a 10-percent rate increase on the same ad."

Russell spends between $1,500 and $2,000 on his ad each year and says it's worth every penny.

As much as many salon owners believe they can survive without Yellow Pages, they need to understand that a large number of potential clients still turn to the directory to find local salons in their areas.

"We advertise year-round on many different fronts, but the Yellow Pages is still one of the top-three primary ways we bring in new clients," Kerns says.

"I think the Yellow Pages are still around because that is something that people have come to know and trust," Russell says. "Want to find anything? Look in the Yellow Pages."