Yellow Pages - A Sign Of The Times

[securespark]

I have just got our new Manchester South Yellow Pages. In years gone by, they have always got fatter year on year.

This year, it looked quite a bit skinnier, so I flicked to the back pages and noted the pages numbers.

The latest edition has exactly 300 fewer pages in it!

Has your latest YP shrunk?

 

[snico]

Maybe something to do with the internet?

I cant remember the last time I used a Yellow Pages, the internet finds everything I need

 

[securespark]

But the internet has been with us and established for several years. The YP decline I have only noticed since the latest issue was published.

 

[snico]

maybe more people are just using the net these days, seems to be the case anyway. I dunno just a thought

 

[Thermo]

maybe more people are realising that it does not offer good value for money, there are alternatives and they dont like their pushy sales tchniques, that border on downright lies

 

[securespark]

I agree! Having bought a quarter column ad. that failed COMPLETELY to raise revenue...

 

[Thermo]

we use our loacl friday ad, which pays off well across a wide area, but we switched to advertising locally in the little glossy mags that seem to be springing up and come through the door. its bought in an enormous amount of work, and its local so less travelling!

 

[jefoss]

the pages prices went up again this year, ive pulled out of them but kept my yell.com ad

 

[Nige F]

we use our loacl friday ad, !

That started as a few pages in Uckfield , done by The Uckfield Press. In the 60`s . Not a lot of people know that

 

[big-all]

i bin the yellow pages thomson and any other "directory" that comes through the door
if they dont vet the contents then they are worthless
the man thats anygood dosnt need to advertise

 

[EddieM]

that's a shame that there are less pages. I reckon they used to take about an hour to burn.

Even better tip. Do a weekend of Local directory distribution. You'll get about 50 - 60 left over. Gives about 4 to 5 days free heating. probably worth more than the pittance you get paid for delivering them.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Maybe something to do with the internet?

I cant remember the last time I used a Yellow Pages, the internet finds everything I need

We too got the latest YP last week - by coincidence it was also the Manchester South edition. I went to the cupboard to find the old one to throw out and replace with the new one - found that the 2007-08 copy was still in the celephane wrapper it was delivered in - thats an indication of how often we use it.

Whilst the internet has been around for many years now, the advent of more widely available broadband together with the changes to charges for calling all the 118*** directory enquiry numbers has led to, i'm sure, more people discovering and using the online directory services which are FOC and therefore ditching the hard copy directories.

 

[jefoss]

the man thats anygood dosnt need to advertise

i disagree here.

you could be the best (insert trade here) in the world but if you have only just started up you need to advertise, at least for the first couple of years

 

[kevindgas]

the man thats anygood dosnt need to advertise

i disagree here.

you could be the best (insert trade here) in the world but if you have only just started up you need to advertise, at least for the first couple of years

i can't help but agree here, we have relocated and work isn't exactly plentyful so we have had to advertise locally and via yell to start up again.
also you can't rely on people using you for ever!

 

[Diyisfun]

The directories also get smaller, because they splt the area, they then have more books & charge for the extra books.
We used to spend best part of £80k a year, we have now reduced this to approx £20k, unfortunatly you have to be in the book to get a good web presence. They are well aware that people are pulling away from 'paper advertising'