Getting the Most From Your Yellow Pages Advertising, Second Edition: Maximum Profits at Minimum Cost (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Covers what ads work best and mistakes to avoid.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Aegis Publishing Group, Ltd.; 2 Updated edition (December 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890154059
• ISBN-13: 978-1890154059
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,194,740 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why is Barry Maher's Book Almost the Only One Available?, December 17, 2000

By	David Thomson "Second Rate Eric Hoffer Imitator" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

What is wrong with this picture? The yellow page industry's annual sales figures are a mind boggling eleven to twelve billion dollars. Shouldn't the reader therefore conclude that dozens of books are constantly rolling off the presses devoted to this topic? Yet, I diligently searched for all the books and writings concerning yellow pages advertising---and this 2nd updated edition printed in 1997 is the most recent and comprehensive one that I could locate! What's more, according to Amazon.com's sales figures this book is not even close to being a best seller. Barry Maher has a virtual monopoly because of an apparent lack of interest. He focuses on the small to mid size companies who usually don't seem to spend five minutes a year figuring out their marketing strategy. The author brilliantly goes into a great deal of specific advice concerning why and when one should purchase an add in a particular yellow pages segment. Should one buy an ad in a "core" directory published by the local telephone utility, or might an independent publisher be more appropriate? Maher answers that placing an ad in the core book is usually mandatory. He quickly adds, though, that the independent offerings might also make economic sense. The independents may not obtain an equal number of responses, but their lower cost and impressive distribution figures often make them a great bargain.

What about a business to business yellow pages? In which circumstance is this the right choice for a business? How big should an ad be? Who should design the ad? Should the buyer pay extra for color? Is the price negotiable? How does one gauge success or failure? Why purchase an ad now if the book will not be released until later in the year? Barry Maher addresses these and other pertinent issues. He even comments briefly, but perspicaciously upon the new phenomenon of Internet yellow pages. This book absolutely should not be ignored. I suspect that too many entrepreneurs fail to seriously consider about how best to effectively market their products and services. A careless hit and miss approach is often the full extent of their willingness to invest time and energy in a matter of such overwhelming importance. "We aren't big enough to advertise," is an excuse commonly uttered. Maher rightfully points out that you don't advertise because you are big, but because you desire to become big. Ralph Waldo Emerson supposedly (or at least he gets the blame) said that the the world will beat a path to your door if you build a better mousetrap. Unfortunately, in the real world nobody knocks on the front door, regardless of your firm's excellent qualities, if they have never heard of you. Many companies go bankrupt solely due to abysmal marketing habits. Another good book to purchase is -The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook- by Jay Levinson & Seth Godin. They also have an excellent chapter dedicated to yellow page advertising.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy Yellow Pages Advertising without Reading This Book, April 3, 1999

By A Customer

Don't buy any phone directory advertising until you've read this book!!! Whatever you get will work better and you won't overspend or underspend or buy anything that's useless.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IT'S GIVEN ME A GREAT AD, AND THE RESPONSE IS WAY UP!, December 1, 1998

By A Customer

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR YELLOW PAGES ADVERTISING is a truly valuable book for any small business that advertises. Before opening my shop, I spent two years working for a directory company. But I learned more about yellow pages advertising from this book than I learned in that whole time. Plus the book is funny and always interesting.