6) I Run A Package Shipping Service... See All My Pretty Boxes?
Yeah, your boxes are really nice. But hey, wait a minute! All the OTHER shipping service ads have pretty boxes too. So much for setting yourself apart from your competitors. NEVER use "expected" images in your Yellow Pages ad. Obvious, generic images do not convey your "unique" benefits to prospects. They only put you on the same playing field as all the rest. The sole objective of your Yellow Page ad design is to grab the reader's attention first, and to persuade them with a powerful message so that they call you. You can't succeed by saying and showing the same things as all the others. Don't feel bad, many Yellow Page advertisers (and novice ad designers) make this same mistake! It's no surprise that so many businesses complain of poor response rates with their Yellow Pages advertising.

Think about it from your prospects point of view. How will a pretty box differentiate you from all the others? How will it convey your most unique benefits? How will a box help motivate ANYONE to call you? You must choose "unexpected" images that jar peoples' brain cells, set you apart from your competitors AND convey your unique benefits. Some may disagree and say... "But my pretty boxes tell people EXACTLY what my business is all about!" That's unfortunate. If you own a package shipping service and the most unique BENEFITS you have to offer are shipping boxes, you may want to reconsider self-employment. Remember, your unexpected photograph or artwork MUST A) Be an arresting, eye-grabbing image that... B) Reinforces your unique headline concept (benefit) and... C) Differentiates your business from the others, in a powerful and meaningful way.

7) Call to Action? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Call To Action!
It's a proven fact that more people will take action if you TELL them exactly what to do. Tell them to call and be sure to include a darn good reason. Say "Call right now for your FREE no-obligation analysis!" And don't bury your call to action, place it right above your phone number. Remember, prospects generally search the Yellow Pages because they are looking to give someone their business – by calling them! Make it easy for them to call you and give them a reason to call you , and they'll call you. And isn't that the goal?

8) My Artist Cousin Said He Can Design My Yellow Pages Ad.
Expensive advertising is advertising that doesn’t work. An ineffective design will cost you far more in lost business than you’ll ever be able to save upfront. The Yellow Pages are a unique advertising medium and few people know how to create effective ads for it. Shop around for a specialist! Ask questions and get testimonials. Seek a genuine Yellow Page ad design expert with a solid track record of results. Warning: If an advertising professional also sells: Web site design, SEO services, logo design, brochures, illustration and marketing manuals, keep looking because they're not Yellow Page direct response specialists. Sample their Yellow Page ads. Do they resemble the impotent concoctions that your Yellow Page publisher provides for FREE? If so, keep looking for a professional who adheres to the strategies you've just read. Then you can sit back and relax... you'll be well on your way to Yellow Pages advertising success.

Does your Yellow Page ad design make your phones ring and competitors weep? Or, has it got you crying the Yellow Pages advertising blues? Let me know...

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