By: Boyd Butler

Boyd Butler — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:18:37 +0000

Don’t dismiss the classifieds in newspapers on a pay-per-call basis.
No calls, you don’t pay. And you can use offline to drive people to your video channel. This can be very effective.

By: Small Business Advisor

Small Business Advisor — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:23:57 +0000

I do not know how much response your suggested advertising method would produce, however I can comment on the response generated from other sources you dismiss without any facts or basis. For example, to make statements such as, “people don’t use the phone book anymore” is unfounded and without any supported facts. Statements need to be supported with proven facts. Here are the facts: on a cost-per-call basis, “local” community yellow pages still outperform online forms of advertising. In fact, we have compared yellow pages to online ads (Google & Yahoo pay-per-click). The yellow pages outperformed them by a margin of 14 to 1. Here is the proof: As an agency, our clients include small businesses such as service companies, retailers, and professionals, including attorneys. Every ad we place for our clients, whether print or online (including online video), has a unique “call tracking” phone number. It records every call, including time of day, call length, and caller ID. Our clients receive as much as 140+ calls every month from their yellow pages advertising! The fact is that consumers are still using the yellow pages – and using them a lot! Results vary by category, as professionals receive less calls, yet their average new client is worth much more than a restaurant or beauty salon. Our advertising decisions are based on actual results. Regarding yellow pages, the best yellow pages are the local “community” phone books. As I mentioned, these local yellow pages outperform the online ads by a margin of 14 to 1 (on a cost-per-call basis). They have low rates and high usage. The rates aren’t anywhere near the $20,000 you quote in this article. And the number of ads in the yellow pages is not the issue. The issue is how many competitors are there in your classification. A divorce attorney ad does not compete with a bankruptcy ad, etc. Here’s the proof: one of our clients is the #26 ad in the attorneys classification in their local book. However, they receive 56 calls per month! That’s because they were the first ad in the classification that focused on their specialty of law. The cost was only $559 per month! That is a great return on investment! The problem with yellow pages has been with the utility publishers (i.e. AT&T, Idearc). Their years of abuse of businesses with high rates and poor service have finally caught up to them. Businesses have another option these days – local “community” phone books and local online options (i.e. Google Maps). The bottom line is this: advertising decisions should be based on proven results and the return of investment. Place a “tracking number” in your proposed advertising medium (online, print, or video) and let the facts decide.

Comments on: Video Marketing For Lawyers – If You Had $20,000 to Market Your Law Practice Would You Spend it on..

By: Boyd Butler

By: Small Business Advisor