Yellow Pages

[Husky288XP]

How many of you guys advertise in the Yellow Pages?
What size is your ad?
What is it costing you?

 

[BoesTreeService]

I just finished purchasing two ads, one in the verizon yellow pages and one in what is called the "yellow book" here in Fort Wayne. Most areas have more than one phone book anymore. The local service provider is required to provide a phone book the others are companies making money publishing books. Find out what the market share for each book is (dont ask the sales reps, research it by a third party)

Ask them about call tracking also, find out what each size ad will bring in number of calls generated, what the percentage calls that are closed is too. Be sure to get the figures for Tree Service, not overall. One rep tried to tell me all ads generate $14 per $1 spent on the ad. That is the overall average, but if you take out the biggies (lawyers, doctors, pizza joints, hotels etc) then the left overs (ie tree services) is much lower return.

The cost will also be based on the size of the population served. I am sure its far more to purchase space in Chicago yellow pages than it is the Smallville yellow pages. My city (Fort Wayne, Indiana) has population of about 250,000, and the metro area is around 400,000. I am paying about $55 per month for 1 1/2" display ad in the "yellow book" which has about a 30% market share, and $150 per month for same ad in the Verizon yellow pages.

Hope this was helpful, but be sure to do some research in your area to find out which book will generate more calls.

Terry

 

[preach it]

One phone book is $318 for a one inch add for the year and the other phone book is $59 per month same add. My calls are 50% phone books and 50% return business from previous work.

 

[stehansen]

I advertise in three yellow page books in our region. Two county wide competing books (SBC Yellow pages and Valley Yellow pages) and one small book the Oakdale-Escalon yellow pages. I started with just the Oakdale one and we used to run out of work sometimes, then I got an ad in the Valley yellow pages and we still used to run out once in a while, since I have had the SBC ad I am now approaching two months worth of booking ahead. My ads are all 1/8th page and are costing about $700 / month total.

 

[KentuckySawyer]

This is my first shot at advertising. One book ad is about $350 a month, and the other is $150. They're both "dollar bill size." Probably because the sales rep saw dollar signs. I'm not looking forward to those bills this winter. Next year I'm thinking of just an "in column block ad.

Word of mouth is the BEST. Phone books attrack more bargain hunters. I've been to bid three different trees and seen the salesman from another local company at the same yards each time.

 

[kf_tree]

i was in 3 books one was 1/4 page ad for 1700.00 a month the other 2 were smaller ads at 350.00 each.

 

[BoesTreeService]

More stats about yellow pages I forgot to mention

My research showed that nationally, 38% of jobs generated in the tree service are from yellow pages. The next highest category is repeat business and referrals. Then you have your number on the side of your truck or a sign you post in the yard when you are doing a job. (I put on my bid sheet when I estimate a job that part of the agreement is my signs will stay in the yard for two weeks. The signs are cheap and they can talk to the client if they want a referral.) Then the rest come from newspaper ads, and other media - TV radio etc - all very small percents.

Before investing the big money in these yellow page ads, be sure to research the numbers in YOUR area.

 

[Koa Man]

My current mix is 0% yp....I don't advertise in it, 80% repeat, 18% referrals, and 2% are people who see us working and ask to give a bid. I still am turning down about 5 jobs a week because I can't see getting to it in a timely manner. I do have some referrals that tell me my customer told them I am extremely busy and they would need to probably wait 2 months before I could do the work.

I never did have any success advertising in the yp when I first started out.

 

[Koa Man]

I don't think the yellow pages bring very good business.

I agree. The ones that did call where mainly concerned about price. The referrals I get usually are concerned about quality and reliability.

 

[treeseer]

If you sell tree care and not just removals, get your yp to ad a listing for Arborists. Fort Wayne should have enough people that know the difference. I have a 1/2" ad in 3 local books and get a lot of pre-qualified calls for paid consultations (not free estimates). Most callers are not price-shopping but will buy a management plan if it is a good one..

 

[PTS]

Yellow Pages Are A Good Thing

I don't think people think twice about their trees until they have a problem, and then who do you call. If they don't know you personally then they dive to the yellow pages under tree. Just my opinion but when I took out my add last year our customer list doubled, causing us to start a second crew, and 90% or more of those customers I didn't know. Which to me is odd because I claim to know about everybody, (small communities). Mine runs around 50-60 a month for a 3 inch by 3 1/2 plus they put my name and number in two other categories with similar topics which I got to choose.

I guess what I am saying is that I think that the yellow pages played a large part in that.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There is a lot here on YP adds, here's post tiltle search http://www.arboristsite.com/search.php?searchid=269153

Over the years the consensus seems that they are good for a start-up company, or a multi crew operation that needs volume to keep going.

For an established micro company, a very small add where their old clients can find them if they lost contact is all that is needed.