Beware of 'Magazine Style' Yellow Page Ad Design
By Adam Strange
I have been designing Yellow Page advertising for
the past 15 years. I have been fully submerged in the medium. Even as I sit writing
this article, various
Yellow Page directories from all over the US are stacked across my desk.
Effective Yellow Page ad design It’s an art form to be sure. Few comprehend
the mediums advertising power. Few understand the subtle blend of art and science
that combines to
create
a
successful
Yellow Page ad design. It takes
a true connoisseur of the medium to understand the underlying psychology of
a masterfully crafted Yellow Pages ad design.
Now I know what your thinking—"This guy is off his rocker." But I totally
disagree. I can plainly illustrate a disheartening trend developing
in our
local neighborhood Yellow Pages. A trend I call—the rise of the dreaded ‘magazine
style’ Yellow Page ad.
Now I like magazines too. I like to leaf through my Forbes Magazine as I leisurely
sit by the pool. I occasionally glance at the pages of Elle when my wife leaves
it lying around. I’ve even been known to flip through the pages of Wired
when I’m ready for the latest rant on how Star Wars has changed the world.
But when I turn to my local Yellow Pages the last thing I’m ready to
face is the pages of Cosmopolitan.
With the recent rise of readily available, cheaply commissionable, Yellow
Page ad design services it would seem our Yellow Pages are turning into a ‘magazine
style’ nightmare.
Now I’m not saying your ad should be as ugly as your Yellow Pages advertising
sales rep wants to make it, but if your Yellow Page ad is turning into an Ansel
Adams exhibition, and your selling air conditioners there is something wrong
here. I know, I said Yellow Page ad design is an art, but what I meant by art
was the kind of Yellow Page ad that ultimately leads to someone buying something
from you.
It’s like Trump calls it—the art of the deal. That’s the
kind of art you are looking for in your Yellow Pages advertising. It’s
the art of getting peoples attention, and not loosing it a half second later
when they can’t figure out what it is your selling. I mean, the heading
says ‘Plumbing’ but with all these baby pictures it looks more
like a Daycare heading. Which one of these guys is a plumber?
These clever ads may be all the rage as I’m sipping my cocktail by the
swimming pool, but when I’m looking for a reason I should buy from you
instead of your competitor, trying to baffle me with a clever picture that
makes me think some Yellow Page flunky lost his job when he mistakenly pasted
a Daycare ad in Plumbing, is not the way to do it. Yeah, you got my attention.
Am I calling? Sure. I’m calling your competitor.
Nobody has the time to decipher your cute ‘magazine style’ Yellow
Pages ad. Captivating your audience is important, making your Yellow Page ad
design distinctive is paramount, but confusing people can make your Yellow
Page advertising useless.
I have learned over the years to even steer clear of ‘magazine style’ layout
for fear of lack-luster results. Many directories have phone company traps
set up with 3 or 4 pages of these ‘magazine style’ Yellow Page
ads for there own products and services. Yellow Page shoppers learn to tune
them out quickly.
Stumble through 4 full-page full-color ‘magazine style’ Yellow
Pages ads under ‘Publishing’ while you’re on your way to
the ‘Printing’ heading and you quickly learn what not to look for.
Phone company traps can be set up under Advertising, Communications, Publishing,
Internet, Telecommunications—always just a few pages away from where
your Yellow Page ad is going to call home.
While magazine ads can be very entertaining, who doesn’t like PacBell’s
cross-eyed dog that is guaranteed to be under seven headings of any given PacBell
directory, the important thing to remember is Yellow Page shoppers are not
there to be entertained—they are there to buy. Hopefully from you!
So be warned, from the desk of a 15 year veteran in the Yellow Page ad design
field, if you are expecting great results with that clever, not so clever,
magazine style Yellow Page ad design you are running this year, you might find
yourself sadly disappointed.
There are better ways to grab people’s attention with your Yellow Page
advertising, AND get them to buy from you. Never sacrifice your company’s
sales for magazine style Yellow Page advertising.
About the Author Adam Strange
Ad Revamp – Professional Yellow Page Ad Design
1-800-339-2410
www.AdRevamp.com
www.YellowPageAdDesign.com
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Adam Strange is a successful illustrator and ad designer with over 15 years
experience in the graphic arts and advertising fields. He's helped countless
companies and small business owners place successful Yellow Pages advertising
campaigns through his companies, Ad Revamp -
Yellow Page Design,
and
Premium - Yellow Page Advertising Consulting. For more helpful
tips on
getting
the most from your company’s Yellow Pages advertising please visit these
web sites.
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