For those in health care marketing, we are fast approaching the trade show season. This is a great time to network, catch-up with clients and friends, and learn about new services and technologies emerging in the industry. It is also the time to begin stressing out about getting your information to prospective clients and how you are going to avoid the annoying sales rep in the booth next to you. With all of this in mind, here are a few thoughts I would like to share:<< MORE >>

There are a lot of differing opinions as to why the yellow pages industry is dying. Everything from Google, high prices of the print ads, increased competition from the vast number of telephone directories, reduced rates in broadcast media and social media have been accuse. While all of this has helped to create the demise of the yellow pages, a big culprit not mentioned is inefficiency while searching in the yellow pages and access of the web in today’s mobile world. There are two main reasons<< MORE >>

Have you noticed you have increased your ad size each year or added new headings, but your advertising bill only increases slightly? There is a reason for this and it is not because you have a kind and benevolent sales rep who ‘really likes you’. Ever try to decrease your ad size with the yellow page rep? No matter who you are dealing with in life, if you understand what motivation they<< MORE >>

Some of you might have heard the news that Dex One announced they became a Google AdWords “Certified Partner” this week. This seems to be the trend all major yellow page publishers are moving towards as their print directory ad sales are decreasing each year. The question many wonder though, will a partnership with almighty Google be enough to stave off eventually going out of business. Becoming a Certified Partner is a good step for Dex One and all of the other publishers. However, I believe they are putting a bit too much<< MORE >>

It boils down to the fact that a yellow page directory cannot offer the amount of information at the expected immediacy consumers demand today. If a consumer is looking for a new doctor, he/she can turn to the yellow pages and find the contact information, maybe a picture of the doctor or their office, and some other ad copy like specialties and office hours. If that consumer turned to the internet they could<< MORE >>

This seems to be the new approach by all of the yellow page sales reps. They position themselves as local media specialists and can produce numbers on Internet Yellow Pages (IYP), radio, television, billboards and newspaper advertising. Most reps no longer beat you over the head about usage numbers because those numbers<< MORE >>

With the recent approval by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors of an ordinance requiring residents of the city to opt-in to receiving a yellow pages directory, advertisers have one more reason to shift their advertising budget to other areas.<< MORE >>

As our marketing budgets continue to shring we need to take a closer look at how we are spending our dollars in the Yellow Pages.  Now don't run screaming, if you are armed with the correct information the renewal process will be a lot less painfull.

A quick tip to save money - list PCP (Family, Internist, Pediatric, OB/Gyn) individually in the Business White Pages in their primary service area as well as under the general Physician & Surgeon heading as a RL (Regular Listing - upper and lower case) or a SL (Semi-bold Listing - all upper case) offering differs between publishers.  When the opportunity arises utlize SRL (Standard Regular Listings which are free).  There is no need for BLN/BL (Bold Lisitng & Number or Bold Listing - apears larger with heavy ink) or color (adding Red, Blue) to a listing; your phone will not ring louder or faster!

For more tips on Saving Green in the Yellow Pages take part in one of our FREE monthly Webcasts - http://www.yellowpagerx.com/webcast.aspx.

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