Why do most tradesmen get upset with the results of their Yellow Pages advertising?
The answer is quite simple; their advertising was created by either the tradesman or someone who works for the Yellow Pages Company. In either case, the work was not done by someone with the knowledge required to attract new clients.
As a tradesman, you have the training and experience to be excellent at your trade, whether that is being a great plumber, a skilled electrician, or other top-notch craftsman. What you do not have is the information needed to be great at creating advertisements. One of the biggest mistakes a tradesman can make is to assume the person at the Yellow Pages Company can create an effective advertisement for a tradesman’s business. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Learning your trade was the basis for your business. Learning to cost out jobs and keep your finances straight assures your business is on solid ground. Learning to manage your business and your employees makes it possible for you to expand and grow your business. The next step is learning to effectively communicate with potential customers through advertising.
Even with all of the new media, Yellow Page advertising is still the most effective method for a tradesman to reach his potential customers.
Let’s look at just what is required to create an effective Yellow Pages advertisement and explain the fundamentals you need to maximize your advertising dollars. You already have the key to creating great advertising, and that is a knowledge of your customers and their needs. You provide solutions to your customers every day; what you need now is an understanding of how to communicate this to new customers.
Just as the new media is evolving into what is called Web 2.0, consider this your introduction to Advertising 2.0. It is personal, it m (more…)
