Is Yellow Page Advertising Dead?

In this modern day does print advertising in Yellow Pages still have any potency?

In the year 2012, is advertising in the Yellow Pages still worth your time? The answer to this perplexing marketing question isn't simply black and white. While the industry opponents and proponents often try and present the issue as a yes or no topic, it's simply not so. To truly evaluate the nature of Yellow Pages advertising for the small business owner trying to decide if printed book advertising is for them a few facts must carefully be considered.

There are still a high number of people who use printed phone books and the Yellow Pages. Which means there is still promotional value in advertising in the Yellow Pages in general. The questions really lie in whether or not there is sufficient value for the advertising in these publications to make the advertiser enough money versus the cost of the ad. The Return on Investment (ROI) is slightly harder to predict in each individual case, but it is possible to generalize promotional values based on the particular type of business and the market in the location where the advertisement is running, as well as the specific Yellow Pages book chosen.

Yellow Page books in large metropolitan locations may offer less value to advertisers. Even though there are larger populations in these big cities, it may be likely that a larger percent of the population uses the internet to find business information instead of the Yellow Page books. There are typically more businesses in the saturated areas that will be listed in city phone books, so the competition may be significantly higher. This isn't a certainty for all locations, but a Certified Marketing Representative can help businesses ascertain the most significant form of advertising for their companies.