I need your help...and feedback.
It seems that the technology of print may have seen it's day in some aspects. Take for example, the "Yellow Pages". As a kid in San Francisco, we used to have the San Francisco directory. (Remember Bell Telephone?) One massive book with white pages in front and Yellow pages in back. It was very useful, my mom would have me sit on when getting my hair buzzed, and when I needed to reach that shelf that was just out of reach, it provided that 5 or 6 extra inches. It was one book, with everything in it. Of course, back then we had one phone, it had a chord on it and you DIALED a phone number. If you missed a call, they would call back. (You get the picture.)
Now we have (in a mostly rural area, no less) 4, count-em FOUR phone books. AT&T, Valley, SureWest and Golden State. Each one touts themselves as the best book, but when it comes down to it I think they are just using up space on my shelf. Not to mention the fact that they will say "we make sure our book gets out to X-(amount) of customers, and they pile up a bunch of books in bags that they leave by the mailboxes... that sit there for a month... or two... or three, until someone gets tired of looking at the now wet and moldy pile and throws them out.
As a small business owner I am approached by each of the "Yellow Pages" books sales people to advertise. In the last 10 years I have seen the swing toward "Looking it up online". Most people are on their computer anyway and it's just easier. Advertisers (businesses) are asked to spend a small fortune on yellow page advertising. Each one now has an online presence and wants to charge for that too.
I have the first sales guy of the season (AT&T) coming on thursday morning and having spent thousands of dollars in advertising in the past, I would like to be armed with some real-life information.
What I want to know from you, my friends is this:
1) When was the last time YOU looked something up in the yellow pages.
2) If you use the yellow pages, which one?
3) Do you feel that yellow page advertising is and effective form of advertising?
4) When you look a business up online, have you ever gone to an online "Yellow Pages" ?
5) Is there anything you want me to share with AT&T Sales Guy? (positive or negative)
I look forward to your responses.
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