[Scott Martin]

Hi Guys,

I have been a yellow pages, book, net and 118 247 customer for a number of years.

Time to renew as you will all know.

Can you supply the following to me to help me in my decision-

SERVICES YOU TAKE WITH YELL
SIZE OF BOOK AD
COST OF EACH SERVICE  I.E BOOK, NET, 118 247
TOTAL SPEND PER YEAR WITH YELL
RESPONSE RATES
CONVERSION RATE
MOST IMPORTANTLY DOES IT WORK FOR YOU?

WILL YOU BE RENEWING
IF YES - WHY
IF NO - WHY


I AM NOT BEING INTRUSIVE OR NOSEY IN ANY WAY AT ALL AND I AM NOT OUT TO GO ONE BETTER THAN MY COMPETITION, MY PROFILE SHOULD INDICATE THIS.

ALL REPONSES WOULD BE GREAT, IF REQUIRED YOU CAN PM OR EMAIL AND THIS WILL BE TREATED IN STRICTEST CONFIDENCE.

THANKS IN ADVANCE.

SCOTT

[the red carpet]

hi,
I havent got a clue what works and what dosent i have tried to research on here as to what type of ad works many times
but everybody seems to have different opinions.

Anyway i have decided to go for a full colour ad 3/8 wich is about quarter page, and it comes out next month so fingers crossed.

Cost i think is about £2400

I am now gonna try and post it so you can see what you think.

I will add im not totally happy with it and it is being ammended at present but it would be interesting to have your feedback.

click on the link below to view

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Neil Grainger]

Hi red

got to say that you have a lot of space on their that you are not using. Wheres your Gurantee and info about your service. The whole point is to be different from the rest.

Tell them what they are getting and fill it with information about you and your company. Put a picture of your family in their this is a massive selling point. This alone has bought in lots of work.

People want to know they can trust you. Dont give Yellow pages that much money for it, it does not need to be full clour, 2 colour would be fine

[Scott Martin]

Looks good, i would have to disagree with free space. Never clutter an advert as you want to get the message accross and straight to the point. To much info is sometimes hard to take in but if it works for others then excellent.

Just me but lose the trainers on the guy, try and get yell to airbrush these to all black.

Two colour should save you a few bob also. Have you thought of a freephone number, even if you only use it on yell then you will know your response rates.

Also remember your ranking, company names starting A,B get nearer the front but dont cheat it.

Thanks for you feedback re yell. Good luck with the ad.

[the red carpet]

hi guys,

Scott, you couldnt be more right in my opinion the image was supplied by y/p and its the third one, and this is there smartest guy yet, i dont know where they get them from they all seem to look so scruffy "i hate the trainers"


Neil, i am having ammendments done at the minute and have included "satisfaction guarantee"
but to be honest dont feel it makes me different, the main reason for me doing it was everybody else has and i dont want to appear as the only one in the book with no faith in there work.

Design side asside for the moment, what does everybody feel works best in the ads text wise, if you had to include a limited amount of things what would the essentials  be for example,

FAST DRYING
RELIABLE SERVICE
HONEST PRICING
STAIN REMOVAL
FULLY INSURED, ECT. ECT. ECT

Also i plan to change the pictures to a before and after shot of a large stain, anyone had any success with this, customers are allways amazed when i show this photo on the survey/quote, so in theroy it wouldnt hurt to include it in the ad.

Also this would make me different as no body else in my book is doing anything like this, its either pictures of them there family or there kit.

[the red carpet]

Also with regards to free phone numbers, i see the benifit of knowing where the calls come from, however i always ask anyway

But have any of you guys that use them to encourage customers to call  ever thought about this,  most people these days use mobiles, most mobiles are free to landlines at some point during the day, also most if not all charge you to ring a freephone number

I myself when i use the y/p will not ring the free phone numbers, and im sure i cant be the only one

[COLIN BRIGHT]

MY AD IS CRAMMED WITH INFO
THERES ISN'T ANY SPACE LEFT

GET A GREAT RESPONCE FROM BOOK

[BRSL]

Sorry to pick another hole in your add 

But the single seat pic is of a seat with removable covers probably machine washable, I agree with some nice pics of before and after save your space and clean half of a seat and leave the other so you only have to take up one space

[the red carpet]

HI PILE PROFILE,

AS I SAY THESE PICS ARE ALL  COURTESY OF Y/P AND TO BE FAIR THERE USELESS.

THE PICTURES I WAS LOOKING TO INCLUDE CAN BE SEEN ON MY OTHER POST - VAN GRAPHICS, CHECK THEM OUT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD WORK WELL IN A Y/P AD?

[the red carpet]

Getting better?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Neil Grainger]

Hi Red

I have just sent you an e-mail with an attachment to show what I meant by filling it with info.

Cheers

Neil

[the red carpet]

Cheers neil,

I apreciate you taking the time to help me out.
This is the type of ad i expected you to be running when you said fill mine with info.
Ime sure this format does work well, the thing that puts me off is theres quite a few adverts in my book running exactly the same text and format.

you mentioned in your other post to be different and with this ad in my local book i just wouldnt be, theres nothing to make me stand out, as everyones using it

So im stuck with the dillema of follow the pack, and just blend into the background.
or try somthing different, and try to stand out with a larger colour advert with pictures etc.


Given the same situation what would everybody suggest?

If everyone runs there normal advert this year mine would be the most eye catching in the book.

[gort]

I hope you dont mind me saying red but is that you in the pic. It does not look very proffesional the bloke with the motor mechanics out fit on cleaning. It would look better if the bloke had a pair of trousers and a short sleave white shirt and if you really want to spice it up put a tie on and please smile and look happy at your work

Rob

[Mike Halliday]

I'll be blunt.

I think your ad is the worst I've seen in a long while, I can't belief of all the 48 people who have viewed it hav'nt said something,

I think you'll be lucky to get your money back, its really bad.

When I've got more time I give go into more detail ( got to walk the dog)

MIke

[the red carpet]

no mate, dont worry i dont look that bad.

As i say its the y/p's pics.

The thing that puts me of putting a picture of myself in is im probably a bit younger than most guys with there own cleaning firms (25). And i think it looks better to have a older guy in the pics as people seem to trust there work to older people more as they feel they have more experience. (wich is prob true)

I did stick a picture of myself on a recent leaflet and the response was terrible.

So its either that or im a ugly git, im gonna go with the first theroy.

I think i might have to stick someone in my work uniform and get a couple pics done this week as the deadlines getting close for the book now.

[Neil Grainger]

surely red those lonley housewives will love it you being so young,

I am only 33 and thought the same but it does work.

Picture of you saying you are the owner of the company.

I do not use this add on its own I just pic things from it.

If you look on Thomson Local for carpet cleaning in yateley you will see my add their and it will show you what I have done.

Cheers

Neil

[mark_roberts]

Its not a great ad as its the same as the rest.  Theres nothing to set you apart.

Dump all the pics as they mean nothing.  You man is naff.  He looks like a plumber.  A pic of you even beside you van would be better.

Dump the full colour no need for it.  One colour on white.

You need a headline.

A list of your services.

A few bullet points which make you different.  I use NCCA approved, owner on site, safe cleaning, risk free cleaning.  I have a few lines under each point.

List where you service esp the local towns to you.

From my research people ring me because of my bullet points and Im local.

I would be disappointed if it didnt make 4-1 return on first time orders.

Goto your local library and look at the other books from other areas for ideas.

Mark

[John_Flynn]

When I advertised in Y/P I used the Joe Polish ad, crammed as much information into the space as I could, put a Consumer Awareness message in Used a FREEPHONE number, the telephone used to ring 4/5 times a day including Sat and Sun, weeded out the PRICE SHOPPERS by asking " Are you looking for the CHEAPEST PRICE?" if that answered YES I told them they were talking to the wrong man!!

I would be getting 2 genuine enqiries a day which I personally went out and SOLD to, my conversion rate was 95%!!

Nothing wrong with Yellow Pages if YOU work it to YOUR advantage.

[Alan Brooker. Aqualink Carpet Care]

Costings. Yellow pages half page full colour, Yell.com and 118247. around £5000inc vat per area.
Joe Polish ideas are good. But are you a glove puppet? Be creative with joes content. Target an affluent area not just because it's on your doorstep. Get a good colour photo of your own work in the ad. Make sure colour and contrast are spot on with photo adjustments and save the file as a huuuuuuuge .TIF   Pin sharp ad.
But all this is only to get your name out there as you know. Work it.

[cleaning co]

i think its nice ad,but is that a freephone number?  if so take it out  only ever put your local number in this is a must !!!     9/10 people when looking for services in a phone book will auto look for the code for their area before even reading an ad  fact !!