Yell & Yellow Pages - Letting Go!

[AerialSolutions]

I have just had a phone call from my Yell Rep to arrange a meeting to renew our advertising in 2 books.

I was very brave and declined the meeting.

Heavens! She was sooooo persistent.

I explained that last years books were literally 'last chance saloon' and this years books enquiries have dive bombed. The biggest book we advertise in (2 adverts = same page = annoying!) is currently producing 7% of all our advertising the other book best 4%.

Even tho we are on P1 of Google she tried to insist that Yell are doing so many interesting things online at the moment and could really do with meeting up to discuss....

This is a first for us after many years of Yellow Pages advertising:- Im hoping this is the right thing to do

 

[S-Marketing]

IMO, you did the right thing. Most of our work at the moment is for 'trades' who have had enough of Yell and Yellow pages and are looking to make sure they get some better advertising sorted. We offer a complete marketing audit and strategic marketing plan, for less than a decent sized ad in the big yellow book.

I can honestly say, that we have increased enquiries and conversions for every single client, and have increased their return on investment, using our services, by a multiple of at least 4, when compared to the return they got from Yell etc

Yell and Yellow pages just cant compete with us.

The worse they get, the more I make, good times.

 

[MarcusMiller]

Hey

I think that will work out for you, Yellow pages and Yell are just not doing the biz like they maybe once did (never for me but...). I am sure there are some industries that serve certain markets where the big yellow book still carries some weight but for many things, the money can be better spent.

It's a fairly frequent topic with new clients discussing the drop off in the value of yellow pages and there are certainly a lot of people looking to reinvest that money in some well done internet marketing.

Cheers
Marcus

 

[ChrisBD]

Yes, right thing. As much as I used YP as a reference if I was looking for a business, today the search engine is the default place I would think most people go, be it Google, Yahoo or whoever....

YP, just like Kodak have been caught off guard.

 

[Tom McClelland]

IMHO everything Yell could offer you is now done infinitely better with either or both of PPC or SEO.

 

[lorr]

Hi
I too droped yellow pages this year best thing i did....
better off puing your funds into google

good luck

lorr

 

[vvaannmmaann]

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=171925&highlight=yellow+pages

 

[S-Marketing]

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=171925&highlight=yellow+pages

Thanks for that, I completely forgot I started that. Since then I have a few more calls, but now they say they are from 'Yell and Google'.

From some of the responses on that thread it would seem that they are to be avoided for PPC campaigns too. Would others agree with that?

 

[puffin]

Yell have HAD their day.

Whats the point in yell, it takes you twice as long.

Everyone now just googles it, why do I want/need to go through another site to get the same..

 

[moosegoose]

the only way ahead for yell online that is. is to rank well for search results. as you say if you want a plumber in norfolk, you will type norwich plumbers. i will be droping yell.com this year. i may stay in the book just in case www stops one day.

 

[MASSEY]

Yeah bin them off, spend what you save on google ads or seo you will see a far higher return.

 

[chalkie99]

A relative of mine has just lost his job at Yellow Pages. They are outsourcing to India apparently and his final weeks are being spent over there training up his successors!

 

[moosegoose]

hi i was just talking to another aerial fitter who had position two. hes now droped it as it do not pay. im droping pos 3 when it exspires. and the number 1 sponsored listing is not going to renuew. we are the top three companies in our area. we all agree its not working. i wish i could have my two grand back.

 

[RBS]

People might be telling Yell is not worth a money etc, but from my own experience, I always use Yell to find something. Just name last few - ironing service, local mini cab, car recovery truck, MOT garage, PC repair. So, it not completely useless, just don`t spend big money on it - make sure your contact details and website address in there, that`s enough in my opinion.

 

[JElder]

Since then I have a few more calls, but now they say they are from 'Yell and Google'.

I hope they try this on me!.Yell have no more weight with Google than anyone else, and I'll enjoy pointing it out....

 

[Leaflets-Distribution]

As per many of the other comments here, I very rarely use the yellow book when looking for something. Always always tend to use the big G online to find anything.

What I do tend to do however is click on the organic results in the first few pages (and very rarely on the paid ads).

But one thing I do continue to use is the classifieds in the local papers (lineage/box ads) for any trade/business type services.