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Should the Yellow Pages be a Part of Your Marketing Strategy in 2015?

Posted by Casey Lewis on Wednesday, March 4, 2015


yellow-pages-part-of-marketing-strategy-2015If you’ve followed our blog (and you should definitely be subscribed to it, because we bring you good stuff), you should have an idea regarding how we feel about the yellow pages. If you’re still relying on the yellow pages as your primary marketing method, you’re paying way too much for an ineffective and inefficient service.

But I don’t want to beat on that drum again – you should know better than to rely so much on the yellow pages anymore. So instead, today we’re going to discuss if the yellow pages have any part to play in your overall marketing strategy. Is it worth it to invest in the yellow pages as just one tool in your marketing toolbox?

Unfortunately, the answer is still no

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the yellow pages aren’t worth it anymore. Yes, I have espoused that advice in regards to depending on the yellow pages, but it’s also true if we’re talking about using the yellow pages on just a part-time basis. And there are several reason for this:

It’s too expensive

In the past, the yellow pages had businesses over a barrel – what other vehicle would allow them to market to a local audience? As a result, the yellow pages charged exorbitant rates because they knew they could get away with it. Even though the world has changed, and their profits have plummeted, they haven’t adjusted their rates much.

Additionally, the yellow pages still use outdated 12-month agreements. If the print yellow pages only come out once per year, why should you be paying for the privilege year-round?

There are local marketing alternatives now

Thanks to the rise of the internet, it’s fairly easy to find local business results online now. The world’s biggest search engine, Google, has been providing local results for years, and even gives them coveted placement at the top of search results pages. And in one of its most recent algorithm updates, Google began placing a higher priority on local results.

It’s stale and unchangeable

There’s only one edition of the yellow pages printed every year, which puts a serious amount of pressure on your marketing department. You’ve essentially got one shot to make an impression, and if your messaging misfires? You’re going to have to wait another year to try again.

Their internet offerings are superfluous and unnecessary

In a desperate attempt to cling to relevancy, yellow pages salespeople have begun touting their online offerings as one of the benefits they provide. But the truth is, their online directory features aren’t helpful; in fact, they may even be harmful. By forcing potential visitors to go to their online directory before reaching your site, you’re just adding extra steps and clicks into the equation. And the harder it is for someone to reach you, the less likely it is they’re going to complete the journey.

Besides, if you need a way for people to find your site, there’s a perfectly functional and free online directory already available: Google.

There’s a much cheaper, more effective alternative 

Instead of wasting any of your precious marketing budget on the yellow pages, you should throw yourself into the deep end with inbound marketing. This dynamic, adaptable marketing strategy puts the popularity of the internet to good use, by drawing visitors from all over the world wide web. By using keyword-laden content, you don’t seek out leads – you bring them to you. And because it is an online-based marketing strategy, the costs pale in comparison to yellow pages agreements.

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