How Many Postcards Does It Take To..........................

[CobaltTed]

...equal or exceed the number of calls you get from the yellow pages?

I know from many of your prior posts that you mentioned a small percentage (1% to 3% ??) of postcards sent will actually call you from that mailing.

So, for example, if your yellow pages yield 40 calls per month, do you have to send out that many more thousands of cards to equal that return? Do you find that it tends to 'snowball' after so many mailings?

 

[Jeremy]

2500-4000 cards by the %s you gave

 

[XTREME1]

40 calls from the yellow pages WOW I am lucky if I would get 40 a year

 

[Royal Man]

With either method the ROI(return on investment) can be very low or even non-existent after you subtract the price for the marketing from your real cost of doing business.


I wish there would be a better way to market. One that could give up to a 200-1 ROI.

HUM?

 

[Blue Monarch]

If I could get 3%, I'd do cartwheels down the block. After losing about 30 pounds.

 

[Royal Man]

a .5 % return on post cards is more likely.

If only 99 out of 100 go into the trash bin you have a direct mail winner.

Save the trees. Stop Yp and direct mail!

 

[CobaltTed]

Rotovac........

You don't even get 40 calls per year from YP? Are you in the main book? Do you have a small in-column ad?

If direct mail truly only has a tiny percentage return - it would appear YP is the best (at least from the perspective of sheer volume). QUALITY of calls is another story..............

In this light, postcards seem to be 'vanity' marketing of simply showcasing your logo??

 

[Jeremy]

Targeting your list to the homes you want to work in is the good thing about direct mail. You "choose your prospects". Put away the shot gun & break out the rifle.

 

[totalsolution]

I went into carpet cleaning because I work for YellowBook USA and I saw actual call counts from tracking lines in the Carpet Cleaning heading. The biggest factor is placement. If you are 4th or more back in the display ads, it is a waste of money. But the most guys in first position full page get an average of 80 calls a month. YellowBook is in almost 1000 different cities and it is very consistent as far as how many calls you will get for first position. This of course is in cities with a population of at least 100k people. Anybody wants the real skinny on phone book ads, shot me a PM. I will lay it down from the inside as a top sales rep makeing 115k a year. But....carpet cleaning gives me NO BOSS!!

 

[totalsolution]

Was that a question or a comment? I couldn't tell. What would be my incentive to lie? I can't sell you anything unless you are within 45 miles of my home town, so.

 

[Bob Foster]

David you have hit on a very interesting topic. Your inside info is something many would be interested in knowing more about.

From your insider perspective what does YP thinks of the mass exodus from YP to web based marketing.

 

[minuteman]

I have to agree with Oidn, I droped the YP add 'cause of $450.00 a month and no calls!

A flyer and a card when on a job for all the neighbors of the job you are at, and "D M" !! it works.

Greg

 

[J Scott W]

80 calls a month in a city of 100,000 does not sound unreasonable if you have a big ad and a good message.

I lived in a city of 7,000. The total area served by our local YP was 32,000.
We had a dollar bill sized ad. We got 10 to 20 calls per month from YP. That varied with time of year with the lower figure being in the winter.

What really matters is how many of those calls were converted into clients.

Scott Warrington

 

[XTREME1]

I have a cigarette pack sized ad in Yelowbook and Verizon Yellow pages $480 a month and a total of maybe 10 calls in the year that is from both books. I am not talking 10 jobs I am saying 10 calls. Crowley is at the beginning also. I get better results free on the internet

 

[Royal Man]

I always say that when you have to consider just breaking even on your marketing as a success something wrong.

 

[Guest]

The left page of the yellow pages is the BEST as mrs custy puts her paper and pen on the right side to write.....ya know!

 

[Neil]

Most people that I have seen write on the phone book.

 

[Jim Martin]

most people I know use the on line yellow pages....and write on a note pad..............the phone "book" is a booster seat.........

 

[totalsolution]

David you have hit on a very interesting topic. Your inside info is something many would be interested in knowing more about.

From your insider perspective what does YP thinks of the mass exodus from YP to web based marketing.

Well there is no "mass" exodus to web based marketing. But it does account for about 21% of all searches as of 8/06 according to Wall Street Journals research. This is about double what it was in 2002. So yes there is a large population doing web based searching instead of YP. But the next big thing is the LOCAL web based searching. So google/yahoo/msn all have changed the way they do AdWords that will allow you to specify how far out you want to advertise your pay per click advertising. You might want to look into that if you want to use any "paid" online advertising. I know the free stuff rocks, but sometimes you want that edge over your competitor.

As far as what does YellowBook think about a mass exodus to online advertising? They are embracing it and making sure that they are ready for the future. They have 5.5 million unique visitors to their website every month and they have partnered with Google and Yahoo as the largest reseller of AdWords. They have some pretty smart people running the company. Not some 80 year old guy that can't even check his email.

As far as me being a liar....that's bullshit. That is like me saying that all carpet cleaners rip you off with their addons and hidden charges. Charge me $200 for a job I could have down with the RugDoctor for $28. All of you carpet guys are thieves.

That wouldn't be cool. Plus, I am a part time carpet cleaner. Thanks for the warm embrace and hospitality.

I consider any advertising you do is like hiring a salesman. You would do an interview and background report and your employees right? So why not do your research into YP before you say, "sure, I'll try it for a year and see what happens."?

Yes YP is a waste of money for about 1/3 of all advertisers. See if your local YP salesman will tell you that!! But for those with a large full page ad in the first 4 positions in the top 200 headings, it will bring results. These are just leads. It's up to you to close them.

Wow, I can't believe I typed this much when I should have been searching the board for a better way to pay my guys.

Anyways.....

 

[Bob Foster]

David, many of us appreciate your honesty and your willingness to share your thoughts. This is a place where you can ask any thing you want and you will get thoughtful answers from some of the wisest people in this industry.

Please understand that just because a person or two is a little abrupt with you please do not think you're not welcome because you are.

Let me give you my personal take on the way some remarks come across. They're honest and uncensored. That's the price we all pay for being on this board.

I personally choose to show the respect to everyone on line the same way I would in person. - except Marty.

 

[Mikey P]

Brevick is a hard on.


Just scroll on by.