The exaggerated death of the Yellow Pages
The yellow pages are not dead. Neither is terrestrial radio. Newspapers are still kicking. All three of these mediums are in decline due to increased competition from newer technologies, but they are not dead yet.
Search engines provide a new way for consumers to find products and services in their area. Many rely exclusively on the internet for their consumer reasearch and information, and never even pick up a phone book. But if you think that nobody uses the yellow pages anymore, you’re just wrong.
People have been predicting the collapse of terrestrial radio from the first days of Sirius and XM satellite radio. They’ve both been transmitting for over five years now, but they are still very far from dominating the market.
You can’t ignore the impact that new media is having on old media, but you don’t need to abandon what’s working either. It’s all about efficiency. If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it.
You should be tracking the reults of all your marketing. If yellow page leads are slipping, consider downsizing your ad. But before you eliminate it completely realize that that many patients who have heard about you may still go looking for you in the yellow pages to find your number before they call. Don’t spend money on a radio ad that leads a potential patient to the yellow page ad for your competitor, just because they couldn’t find you. Keep a token presence at least.
Satellite radio has taken away some terrestrial radio listeners. But it will never be able to replace the local news, weather, and traffic available from terrestrial radio, and it can’t give the local flavor that listeners enjoy from their hometown stations. CNN and Fox News will never replace you local tv news programming, and terrestrial radio has a lot more life in it for listeners as well as advertisers.
Kudos on telling people what’s really working. Print YP makes the phone ring. Yes, there is some transition to online, but the Internet isn’t for everyone. You need to be in ALL of the places your customers can find you, and print YP is just one of them…
There is a big difference between ‘A Yellow Pages Ad’ and a ‘A Yellow Pages Listing’ … one is free (listing), and the other is insanely expensive for what you get (I just got a phone call yesterday trying to talk me into a $235 a month ad only 1.5″ square). In response to the knec saying ‘The internet isn’t for everyone’ I agree … but when you compare a $235 ad that generates some revenue from a stalwart group of an aging population versus a free (Google) ad that appeals to the people that may be your customers for 50+ years, the answer seems pretty clear to me.
If you must advertise in ALL the places your customers can find you, then hang a poster in front of a urinal and advertise on AM radio. Honestly, if that is your plan, then go for it. I’m not being facetious.