Send em to the White Pages

Your business is listed in the Yellow Pageswhether you buy an ad or not. Your business islisted in the Yellow Book and the other phonebooks, too, no purchase necessary.

The trick is to get people to remember your namewhen they look in the book. That's advertising'sjob. If you stress what's in it for them they willremember who you are when they go looking. Manytimes they go looking a year, or more, afterhearing or seeing your ads. If it is all aboutthem, they will remember all about you.

Surveys show the majority of people look in theYellow Pages for a name that seems familiar,either through past dealings or because ofadvertising or referral. Only the people who don'thave a clue go there to make a decision based onthe ad copy or size of the ad. And color doesn'tmake a difference to the clueless.

You have seen it and heard it, "See our ad in theYellow Pages". Furgitaboutit! Don't encourage themto go look for your ad, instead, show them how tofind your number.

Why send 'em to the yellow section where theycould be swayed by ads from your competitors. Mostfolks can't remember numbers seen in print orheard on the radio and few carry around a padand pencil. Your job is to help them associateyour name with their ability to find your number."In the white pages under B for BIG IdeasGroup"."In the white pages under M for MoritzEngine Repair. Moritz, M-O-R-I-T-Z."

Keep a little yellow ad if you want, for theclueless. Use your advertising to help peopleremember how to find you when the time comes.Advertising is for them and then they rememberyou.

For more about Yellow Pages, get my article"7 Tips Better Ads"MailTo:7Tips@BigIdeasGroup.com

©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights ReservedMike@BIGIdeasGroup.comBIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" NewsletterMailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

A recovering economy means U.S. companies can afford to increase their payouts to shareholders—and that's boosting the appeal of dividend-paying stocks

Insurers are pushing annuities as a way to protect investors from wild financial markets, but the products can be pricey and expose investors to inflation

The Federal Reserve is holding out for additional evidence of a self-sustaining recovery before it takes more aggressive action

Canada’s top bank regulator warned it may still be too early for the country’s banks, part of the world’s soundest financial system, to use their cash for takeovers and higher dividends.

American International Group Inc., the insurer rescued by the U.S., drew $2.2 billion more from a Treasury Department facility to bolster property-casualty units that will be the core of a scaled-back company.

Investors should beware of stock offerings from clean-technology companies this year that lack a long-term technology edge and rely too much on government aid, said Vinod Khosla, the biggest U.S. investor in green startups.

Michael Cirami, co-manager of the $2.2 billion Eaton Vance Global Macro Absolute Return Fund, waited five years for investors to realize that insurance on Greek government bonds was too cheap.

Wall Street analyst opinions on stocks making headlines in Tuesday's market

Sen. Judd Gregg, (R-N.H.) talks with Bloomberg's Susan Li about the U.S. government's efforts to overhaul the financial industry

What Wall Street economists and strategists had to say about key developments on Mar. 15

The defined-contribution plan revolutionized retirement for U.S. workers. After three decades and the Great Recession, key fixes are needed

Insurers are pushing annuities as a way to protect investors from wild financial markets, but the products can be pricey and expose investors to inflation

Products such as EMERALD and SunAmerica 2020 High Watermark Fund aim to provide returns and tranquility amid intense market volatility