Article by Adam Strange
Advertising Consultant of AdRevamp.com |
How do I come up with a good headline for
my Yellow Page ad?
After working with local business owners for the past
20 years, I’ve read a lot of headlines. Most are
pretty awful. Unfortunately many local businesses waste
the prime real estate at the top of their Yellow Page ads
with headlines that say little about their companies.
While I agree that if you are running a plumbing ad in
the Yellow Pages it’s a good idea to scream, “This
is a plumbing ad!” But the best way to do that is
not by simply asking “Need a plumber?” Chances
are if I’m in the plumbing section of the local Yellow
Pages, I do.
So while I’m a huge fan of having the word “plumbing” or “plumber” or
something to that effect in the headline of your “plumbing” ad
-- it is a great way for me to spot the ad I’m looking
for -- that is not the only goal an attention grabbing
headline should strive to achieve.
So when carving out a good headline for your Yellow Pages
ad, consider this -- lots of people turn to the Yellow
Pages with at least a few questions floating around in
their heads.
Yes, they are looking for your goods and services, but
in addition to knowing they need an electrician, or a mechanic,
or an attorney, you can be sure they have other questions
on their minds.
How long is this going to take? How much is it going to
cost? Can I get this done before work on Monday? I wonder
if they can give me a ride to their shop or office?
Maybe there are even a few specific questions important
to your industry? Questions they should be asking but just
don’t have enough experience to know they should
ask.
These are all good places to start when drafting a headline
that is going to win people’s attention. If you’re
headline can go as far as answering any important, topical
question with a helpful, on-target answer, that headline
is as good as money in the bank.
So in addition to screaming your vocation, take a stab
at answering one of those questions people are constantly
sending your way. Answering one of those frequently asked
questions with a straight-forward headline is one of the
best ways to insure Yellow Page shoppers read on. And subconsciously
they’ll be thinking, “They were already smart
enough to answer one of my questions in their ad, just
imagine what results I’ll get with a phone call.”
If you take the time to be informative and helpful in
your Yellow Pages headline, Yellow Page shoppers will reward
you.
So take a swing. Answer something big in a large, bold
font right at the top of your Yellow Page ad. Trust me.
It’ll work. And both you and your customers will
be happy you did.
Chances are you’ve already got a good idea what
most people want to know just from answering the phone
over the years. But if you still need a little nudge, you
can never go wrong talking about time, value, or guarantees.
For most Yellow Page shoppers -- and consumers in general
-- time is always an important factor. So if you can give
potential customers a good idea of how long a transaction
with your company usually takes, you are already on your
way to more calls and happier customers.
Value is also important in any sale. While some focus
on price, others insist on quality. Value is the mix of
price versus quality that your company caters to.
And guarantees are all about reducing risk. Whether we,
as potential customers, are conscious of it or not, we
are constantly looking for clues on how we can minimize
our investment of time and money, so we assume as little
risk of making a bad decision as possible. If you can bring
your potential customer’s risk close to zero, you
will win the lion’s share of the business.
So take your time. Look carefully over all your copy points.
Many business owners already have a great headline, it’s
just not at the top of their ad. They have it buried in
the fine print, or lost in the middle of some lengthy bullet
list. Pull it out of there! Push it to the top of your
ad. You’ll be happy you did.
Remember -- a good, well thought-out headline is a win-win
for both you and your customers. So spend some time on
it, and you’ll get it right!
To learn more about Yellow Page ad Headlines here are
to articles from our 7 point tutorials on Yellow Page ad
design. Both focus exclusively on the importance of a great
headline in your Yellow Page ads.
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