I've been included in the local Yellow Pages for the last couple of years. I'm also on Yell.com. For both I've always gone for the free listing and never paid anything more for a bigger ad.
My business is growing well, although I'm always keen to obtain new clients. Has anyone had any success by paying for a larger advert, or has it been a waste of money? I need to let my local rep know ASAP before the print deadline. Would welcome any comments.
I think it depends on how many book-keepers there are in the phone book. I'm lucky because in my region there are only a few book-keepers advertising. The rest are mainly accountants. Therefore I only ever bother with a free line ad.
If it were me, I would save my money and spend it elsewhere e.g. pay-per-click advertising etc.
I have paid for a larger ad in the past and found a substantial increase in interest from prospective client's. Would recommend it if you are looking to increase your client base.
Little tip I was told by a marketing friend - never pay extra for a colour advert as it has been found to lead to an actual decrease in effectiveness! Not sure how accurate this is as I've never tried a colour ad, but worth bearing in mind.
Glad to hear youre based in Wales and not in England so you won't be competing against me (just kidding! ).
I've tried several variations and found the following wording very effective:
Your Local Book-keeper In XXXXXX *Book-keeping *VAT Returns *Management Accounts *Bank Reconciliations & More WE CONVERT YOUR BOOKS TO OUR COMPUTERISED SYSTEM 'FREE' OF CHARGE Reliable Efficient Service TEL: XXXXXXXX www.XXXX.XXX Email: info@XXXX.XXX
The above advert would be in a black box with the business name at the top.
My advice is to try different adverts until you find one that works for you.
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