How to Create Better Yellow Pages Ads.

• Author: Albro, Walt
• Position: Brief Article

One of the six elements of a high-performance yellow pages ad is "a strong headline that commands attention and engages readers." That information comes from Kerry Randall, a yellow pages advertising expert who has written a new book entitled, "Winning the Yellow Pages War: An Advertiser's Guide to Creating a Powerful, Gall-Generating Ad."

More effective yellow pages ads is of interest to bank marketers since banks spend about $38 million a year on yellow pages advertising, according to the Yellow Pages Publishers Association. The association estimates that nearly a quarter of all consumers refer to the yellow pages before choosing a bank.

Most yellow pages ads are humdrum, Randall notes. One reason for this is the headlines. Most ads don't have headlines, and those that do often forget to write buyer-focused headlines that grab attention.

To create a more powerful headline, Randall suggests going over the copy points you want to make in your ad. Then, for each of the copy points:

* Create a question. (Do you deserve the best?)

* Create an attention-grabbing statement. (Warning!)

* Create a statement that engages the reader. (Travel in safety with..,)

* Create a problem followed by a solution (Last year, 22,478 Smithville residents overpaid for their auto insurance ... We guarantee the lowest rates.)

This exercise should help you to identify the most powerful headline for your ad.

Randall says the...