Yellow Page Ads

[Green Acres]

I was just wondering what everyone thought about yellow page ads? The good and the bad. Also has anyone had any success with them? What do you think in your mind works and don't work? Thanks

[Cutter1]

I have a few local yellow page ads. They have been very successful for me. People say that yellow page ads are not the way to go for advertising, I disagree. Although they are a little pricy, they pay for themselves.

[landscaper3]

They can be worth there weight in gold if you apply your add right, make it stand out from others. A good amount of people look in yellow pages for a typical service, dealership ect. So yes run a add and try not to blend in with everone elses add.

[Kevin]

They are a little expensive. They did help me out in the beginning ( big ger ad) now I just have my name listed for next year.

[Runner]

I just could never see the justification of running a yp ad. Since most (VAST majority) of my business is clientele based-repeat customers anyway, there's never any need - our work is our biggest advertisement. As it is, I already give ridiculously high qoutes sometimes and STILL get accepted!Now, if we were doing something like just installations, or just sprinklers, or something like that, that is a one time deal, then I could see it. But if I want more commercial work, then I go out and bid it. If I want more residential work, then I target an area. But if I want my phone ringing off the hook everyday with people asking me questions like; "How much do you charge to mow a lawn?" then I'll run a yellow pages ad.

[TLS]

Runner,

I agree 100%. I have not advertised in over 12 years. I have a list of people that I decline every year that is getting longer and longer. If we were in the driveway sealing, or painting, or patios/walks, that would be a different story. If you still need to advertise, how about getting flyers printed up and go around to doors and putting them on the handles. Don't hang on mailboxes, its illegal! Word of mouth should take off quickly unless you do a bad job. With yellow pages, you get the el'cheapo's not the quality jobs. Plus, my yellow pages circulate where I'd never consider driving to. My max. distance is 3 miles.

Good Luck

[UrbanEarth]

I agree with both Dixie and Runner. Why spend a wack load of money advertising to areas that you don't want to work in? I ran a YP add my first year, and now I just have the standard 'free' listing. Word of mouth and flyers works for me.

Alan

[KirbysLawn]

I have an ad in the "Community Phone Book". It's the red book that goes to specific areas. Very good response but will not do again.

Can't help but to repeat what I heard at a local meeting "For every $100 you spend you have to make $1000". If the ad cost you $500 a month, you must gain $5000 in business just to break even!

If you can handle that much growth and expense then go for it, if not canvas local neighborhoods with good fliers.

Ray

[Cutter1]

I have got a lot of good business from my ads. I keep them in areas I work in and thats it. If they call and I don't want them, I tell them to call someone else.

[HOMER]

I run an ad in the yellow pages and am glad I did. I have increased my biz by at least 50% since it started running last year. The ad cost me $300.00 per month last year because I used a lot of page but now it's $13.70 per month since the new books came out and I still get calls. The difference is now I can pick and choose what I want to do and then I needed the work. For $13.70 per month I think it's the best form of advertising out there, flyers. local T.V ads, and everything else I tried wans't effective. Word of mouth worked but not fast enough when you need to secure those annual accounts before winter! I would caution against going high dollar, as long as your in there I think you'll still get a call cause people are going to shop around. You may not win every bidding battle but you can sure find out a lot about your competition! Bottom line is you get the chance to bid where you wouldn't if they did'nt see ya back there.

Homer

[Scraper]

Kevin, How much did you pay for the ad? Was it for Delaware County? Last time I researched it, it was pretty pricey!

[scottb]

Im going to try the Business Card ad in our local paper a friend of mine tried it and it has worked very well. I will wait until the end of January begining of Febuary and give it a try.

[Indiana]

I took out a yp ad two years ago. I needed some wide spread publicity. It worked and now I'm pretty established. Lately all I do is turn down because my plate is full. A couple of the guys were right, you get alot of cheapo's calling you from who know's where, wanting a price over the phone. Usually, I "just say no"

My ads the first year ran 97.00 per month. This year I scaled way back to 33.00. The little one works a little one works better. I do hydroseeding so I need the ad for that. As far as mowing I only take commercial for my new clients. Alot of companies look to the yp. I have found in this area that word of mouth doesn't work like it should. All of our residential customers are part time residents so their only up here for the weekend. Makes it nice for working, no one bothers me.

[KirbysLawn]

Originally posted by scottb
Im going to try the Business Card ad in our local paper a friend of mine tried it and it has worked very well. I will wait until the end of January begining of Febuary and give it a try.

Scott, I have ran 3 ads in the newspaper. All of them were very nice, professional looking ads that were well placed, only one call. I have found newspaper advertising to be a total waste of money. See what others think about it first.

Ray

[scottb]

But it has worked well for my friend. Right now Im using fliers and I have a few Business cards. I also realize its the wrong time of the year to get started but better to be noticed now. But Mooresville is a small town and the ad is not expensive. Also seen by all the Lake Norman area people.
All they do is copy your Business card and put it with others in one whole section of the paper. But I will monitor my buddie and see how well he really did.

(What I mean by Mooresville being a small town the local paper is read by about everyone its kind of a Gossip section.)

[Edited by scottb on 10-10-2000 at 03:23 PM]

[KirbysLawn]

Good luck. Are you coming to the CGMA meeting tonight? During this month’s meeting, Husquvarna will present a condensed version of “Train the Trainer.”

7:30 at 700 North Tryon Street, Charlotte.

Ray

[Lawnmasters]

For you guys looking for ways to advertise less expensively. I have two deals with local businesses. One guy publishes a "Tri-county Directory". It is a phone book that competes with Ma bell. His book goes to 3 counties in my area. The first year I advertised in the same three counties it was around $300.00 a month. I got NO calls from the outside counties but a ton of business from our local area. The Tri-County directory is working better since I have an 800 number now. My point, yes I have one, is I trade out advertising for services. I have an add for around $1,900.00 per year that I do pruning, mulching and what ever else he wants done in return for. These jobs are always done as "fill ins" when we have a few hours to spare between jobs or in the winter.
A local radio station also prints a "shopper Paper" I trade services for adds here also. The owner has two properties and the Radio station property that we maintain. We are always way ahead on available advertising. This works good for us, just an idea.

Good Luck,
Greg Pierce, CTP

[scottb]

Originally posted by KirbysLawn
Good luck. Are you coming to the CGMA meeting tonight? During this month’s meeting, Husquvarna will present a condensed version of “Train the Trainer.”

7:30 at 700 North Tryon Street, Charlotte.

Ray Not tonight winterizing the ole Chicken house before Perdue starts yelling at me. But are these meetings helpful. Are ther any fees etc.
Thanks Scott Brumley

[KirbysLawn]

Scott, check your email.

[cclllc]

This is my first year to use the yellow pages. I was really surprised at the results.I have my add int two differant books.Well worth it.

[bob]

No Yellow pages ad for me. I talked to a sales rep for 45 minutes last year before she would even start to tell me what the ads cost. Word of mouth works best for me.

[yardsmith]

do a search on this subject; it's pretty popular.
YP has been responsible for 92% of my biz, & has been the best advertising I have used. Biz cards are for supermarkets & personal contacts.
Those who down YP are USUALLY already established, & don't want extra calls all the time, which indirectly tells you it works!
Word of mouth doesn't work too well here either, even if you do good work. People goto the YP fist.
SO, if you're wanting biz, try the YP. If you're already established, it may not be for you. Fliers work well too.

[Skookum]

Right up my alley guys.

I took visual design in college several years back. Had a business with a 286 computer spitting out logos and ad slicks long before surfing the web was even talked about.

I do all my own stuff, of course. I have actually gotten lawn and landscape jobs because my paperwork was the most professional looking, So I am told anyway. In otherwords, don't just call someone and say "It will cost X amount" or hand it to them on a scratch pad. Send it to them on nice letterhead at least. So professional look goes along with a listing in the yellow pages.

Yellow page ads DO WORK! Those starting out, it is hard to get a full plate right out of the gate. Yellow pages ads get people calling. The bigger the ad, the more calls, the more calls, the more work or the more you can pick and choose.

It also gets your name out there. Depending on what you want your business to be later, known or unknown. People choose both and will argue both, only one person can decide your goals and your image, YOU.

NOTE- I just got off the phone, got a job from a guy 1/4 mile away from me, he did not know I was down the street from him, got my name out of the yellow pages. IT WORKS!

I do not have a big placement ad, just a small in-line listing ad. But, I want to keep my business small right now, so this works for me very well. I get to pick and choose. My third call, when I first ran in the yellow's landed me a $880.00 per month contract. My listing was only costing me $54.00 per month!

Someone did mentioned mailbox picketing being unlawfull. This is true. But, door hangers are not unlawful and they are very quick and easy and serve the same purpose. Hangers work best when you do them to yards and businesses that are around ones you take care of now. Let the prospect know that you do the yard across the street, be proud of your work. Also helps on your selling / people skills when they answer the door to see what you are doing. Be ready, hand them a biz card and a door hanger and introduce yourself.

This of course is my own experiences and actual results in your area may vary.

[lawrence stone]

With yellow page ads your service area for residential work is too large. You can't service 360 degress easily. Plus you are locked into a year contract and have to get a business line.

Newspaper classified and small display with direct mail to "selected" areas in early spring controls when and where you sell your services.

Instead of your business controlling you. YOU control your business plus keep costs down. And are not in a selling mode 365 days a year.

The area that I now service residential accounts is 20% of the area it was 10 years ago. It is about 4 miles east then
runs 8 miles to the north. My farthest residental is 10 miles from home.

[Edited by lawrence stone on 10-11-2000 at 02:53 PM]

[The Lawn Genie]

Two years ago I purchased a large display ad in the local yellow pages. In general, I was dissapointed with the response I received from it. I did get a few good accounts from it, and I'm sure I made my money back, but the majority of the calls I recieved were bargain shoppers, who were only concerned about the lowest bid.

The other problem that I encountered was the fact that with yp ads you can't control the exact area your advertising in... I had calls coming in from all over the place.

[yardsmith]

Depending on what your goals & plans for expansion are, you can expand into other nearby parts of town or towns & grow as you see fit. If not, tell them no thanks. Or be creative & sub it out & keep the markup, then sell the accounts in that area down the road to a competitor in that area. Many possibilities here........