phone book renewal coming up....what to do?

[Harold Mansfield]

Actually, the pages with a little Windex cleans mirrors and windows quite nicely.

[billbenson]

Huggy, I'm shocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vangogh]

Let's hope your customers don't do the same.

[huggytree]

the new book im in finally came out today....3/4's the size of last years....its down to 80 pages.....

i am the largest ad, im the first ad and there are about 3 or 4 less plumbers listed overall....i should get almost every call if size matters

typically i see results right away (while people still have the books/before they throw them out)....so if i get a few calls in the next 3 months ill be able to quickly judge

if the results are the same as the 2012 book ill cancel for 2014 and go all out on the internet

[webmarketingpro]

Personally, I find phone books very useful as lead generators for offering my web marketing services ;-)

And I would certainly recommend adding a stronger online presence - and make sure it includes a sign-up form for a newsletter so you can build a relationship with your subscribers. I'd also offer them an "ethical bribe" - maybe a simple how-to guide on a plumbing topic (how to fix it and when to call in an expert, or something like that).

You may also want to add press releases and other local activities, from networking to speaking, to the mix.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to reading about your results with the full-page listing!

[huggytree]

its been out 1 week now and i got a call yesterday...not a job....not yet....just a call

its a good sign

[vangogh]

Definitely a good sign. Hopefully a year from now you'll be telling us it was much more than a sign.

[fayt]

I am glad to hear you got a bunch of business from it. I had placed a 1/8" color ad that cost me $2,600 and it bankrupted me because I got zero business from it. (Old business of mine) tracked by asking customers how they found me.

But to answer your question, the economy was gotten much worse and more people are using google and social media and less with the phone book.

[BNB]

I would use a different number for the phone book so you can easily track the calls it generates. I think usage of phone books may depend on where you are - you might be an in area more inclined to use them. They are definitely on the way out, but if it generates sales, that's all that matters. I don't count anything out.

[huggytree]

there's a buy local attitude in my area.