Yellow Pages

[suzybaby]

I'm in abit of a muddle over whether to place an ad in the yellow pages
I am a new business and the guy rang from the pages offering me a quarter column with all art work and on white background for 530 paid over ten months.
I feel this to be abit expensive and think I might struggle to pay for it but he claims it will bring me loads of business and will pay for itself

Has anyone else found this or shall I just stick to my free line?
I don't want to miss out on bringing in more business as I'm really quiet at the moment and want to get known in my area but feel this is alot of money to pull out of a new business each month.
any advise would be great
thanks :hug::hug:

 

[gemsie1983]

If you think you will struggle too pay for it the I would hold out.

There are loads of cheaper opportunities for marketing your businees, Leaflet drops, websites too name a few!!

I'd be more inclined to say spend what you have for a marketing budget on a good website that comes out near the top on a google search! The internet really is the way forward I work in print and we are really pushing out digital products at the moment!

hth's

 

[Chameleon]

I'm in abit of a muddle over whether to place an ad in the yellow pages
I am a new business and the guy rang from the pages offering me a quarter column with all art work and on white background for 530 paid over ten months.
I feel this to be abit expensive and think I might struggle to pay for it but he claims it will bring me loads of business and will pay for itself

Has anyone else found this or shall I just stick to my free line?
I don't want to miss out on bringing in more business as I'm really quiet at the moment and want to get known in my area but feel this is alot of money to pull out of a new business each month.
any advise would be great
thanks :hug::hug:

Hi
Personally from my ad i did i will not do it again....yes we all make expensive mistakes im sure,but i feel word of mouth is your best option.

I know its hard in the beginning,but there is a limit when it comes to advertising!

have you tried other less expensive sources,such as leaflet drops,or going to the local businesses in your area to drop in leaflets?
i mean hairdressers,banks,...or maybe putting ann advert in the local paper?

Good luck!:hug:

 

[suzybaby]

I am leaflet dropping at the moment but it's a large area so it's taking time. I've handed them out to some businesses such as sunbed shops banks bridal shop etc but our local shopping centre has a very busy beauty salon and I don't know if I would get into trouble handing out leaflets as they pay rent at the shopping centre.

I have looked into the local newspaper and will place an advert there soon but again it is pretty pricey £62.00 for one week.

I really thought I would of been busier than this I opened on june 30th but my leaflets have been handed out for quite a while as my boyfriend is a taxi driver and he's been handing them out bless him..
but have had very little response.

 

[Chameleon]

Give it time...some clients put it down,forgrt about it,and then several weeks later think"oh theres that salon that does that facial or nails",and then you hear from them.

I forgot to add having a web site helps immensely,i get regular new clients from mine,and have to say it was the best thing we ever did.
Be positive!

 

[suzybaby]

Give it time...some clients put it down,forgrt about it,and then several weeks later think"oh theres that salon that does that facial or nails",and then you hear from them.

I forgot to add having a web site helps immensely,i get regular new clients from mine,and have to say it was the best thing we ever did.
Be positive!

Thank you so much for your encouragement
I'll just keep at it x x:hug:

 

[blossom]

When I started out 4 years ago I paid about £400 to have a small box ad in the YP, nothing fancy, on a plain yellow background so it didn't stand out in particular, but it paid for itself over and over during that first year and brought enquiries every week.

Now I'm this far down the line I just have my free lineage ad from which I get the odd call but tbh most of my new customers come from word of mouth recommendations. But if I was quiet as you say you are, I wouldn't hesitate to do a bolder ad in YP as I got loads of response before. hth x

 

[MINKUS]

BLIMEY ! THEY MUST BE DOING THE ROUNDS !

I've had a small box (much cheaper than colour etc etc) and more than adequate - i've got loads of business from it.

Depends how much your budget is.

Good luck

amb x

 

[ValencianNails]

It's a viscious circle when you're starting out... you need more work and hence need to advertise but haven't got the work coming in to pay for it.

You definitely need to advertise, where you place your advertising is a whole other ball game, some advertising works better than others.

Have you seen the article Sassy did?... click here

hth's

 

[pazzy]

Yellow pages gets slated from time to time and I myself had some problems with a few of my ads over the years. But hand on heart - it does work!

Try a small ad first but there is a great thread already on this by Minkus with some great tips on for your content.

You will still get a free line entry for elsewhere in the book and you will be on yell.com too.

It will be a slow start for you but you will get there.

If it doesnt feel right - dont be pressurised into a larger ad. There are smaller boxes for cheaper - the salesman will aim for the biggest sale from you first - ask what the other options are first.

 

[suzybaby]

Thanks for all your replies I really have alot to think about and I have realized I've made one hell of a mistake in not budgeting for advertising...:cry:

Don't really know what to do as I'm stretched to the limit

I've read the threads from Sassy and they have been really helpful thanks
it's just going to take a lot longer than I thought to get established
thanks again for all your encouragement
xxx

 

[bombini]

Ive never had any response from yellow pages or thomson local.

I have done quite a few ad's in the local paper which got a very small response but barely covered the cost of advert but the best was when I did an advert offering 50% off any treatment, I was fully booked almost straight away !!

I did get a few baragin hunters that were just after cheap treatments and booked up loads of appointments which I felt were wasted but I also gained quite a few clients that have now become regulars.

I am planning to do another 50% offer for NEW customers only and limit it to one treatment each on production of the advert.

 

[loubylou]

I only have the free line and i still get calls from that, if you cant afford it just yet stick to the free one
a tip for you, when they keep ringing which they will do, keep telling them that it is too expensive as you are a new business and they will back down and offer you a deal eventually. hth

 

[NoticeableNails]

I had my 1st yellow pages ad last year and I had good response for it. I had a small box in yellow and black no picture just words. It worked out that I would only need one client per month to pay for itself. Needless to say it did pay for itself, and got me business when I was quiet.

This year I pushed the boat out and went for a slighty larger ad, still in yellow & black, but with a picture this time. Yet again it has more than paid for itself.

A couple of things to bear in mind with advertising with yellow pages is you can't change your mind half way through the year as the directory is only printed once a year. Also you can spred the payments over 10 months and you dont start paying untill the book is released.

HTH