Hey, guess what? People are still using the phone book!

Okay, I’m climbing back up on my soapbox.  I’ve been meaning to address this issue, yet again, for a while now but an article recently forwarded to me reminded me that it’s time to put the gloves back on and duke it out with you Yellow Pages nay sayers. 

First of all, let me state for the record that I am a proponent of the Internet.  I love it!  I’m on it all day long, for personal and professional reasons.  On those rare occasions I am unable to get online I’m not a happy camper.  But as much as I love you Google, MSN and Yahoo, you have done me wrong from time to time and have lead me down the wrong path, causing me extreme frustration.  I know you’re taking steps to clean up your databases and make the search function a more user-friendly and relevant experience but you could learn a thing or two from my good friend the phone book.  Advertisers in the Yellow Pages pay to make sure their information is correct and it’s updated at least once a year.  You’re not likely to find advertising for a company that’s gone out of business.  And if you do, you’d better believe it’s going to be cleaned up by the time the next issue publishes.  And yes, I sell national Yellow Pages advertising for a living so you may think I’m biased.  I prefer to think of myself as an open-minded sorta gal.  Like I said, I’m a big fan of the Internet, and I sell advertising space there, too, so it certainly wouldn’t behoove me to discount the value of Search Engine Marketing and Local Search.  But don’t diss the print directory!

I could throw a bunch of stats at you and if you’d like to contact me I’d be happy to provide you with all the data and research your little heart desires.  But for the sake of keeping this short and sweet I’m going to leave you with this simple, yet powerful stat…85% of the U.S. population used a Yellow Pages directory last year.  85%! 

I know folks want (and are using) the phone book and I have to look no further than my neighbors to help me back up that statement.  I live in an apartment complex.  In the past our directory publisher AT&T delivered the books to our front doors.  This year they decided to give folks the option of receiving the books.  Instead of dropping them off on every door step they built shelves in the lobby of each building.  If the residents want a book they simply have to help themselves.  Because I do what I do for a living I have a particular interest in that stack of phone books.  And guess what…I’ve watched the stack get smaller and smaller every day until the supply had to be replenished…more than once.  So there you have it…the books are not forced on anyone, yet the demand is there.  Proof that people still use and rely on their print directories!

 

 

Print Yellow Page Users Take Action

Posted October 28th, 2008 by Jack Loechner

According to new research by Knowledge Networks on behalf of the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP), the ADP National Yellow Pages Study shows that 85% of the U.S. population used a printed directory last year. Independent publishers (those not affiliated with local telephone companies) enjoyed a strong share of this consumer usage, with 40% of overall Yellow Pages look-ups going to independent directories.

Larry Angove, ADP President & CEO, says that “The usage share number confirms that independent publishers still have growth opportunities in print… the fact that independents are responsible for 40% of overall directory usage… indicates to national advertisers and their CMRs that independent directories are a choice for their national placements.”

Print Yellow Pages provides advertisers with consumers who take action after referencing a directory, says the study, with 78% of directory users contacting an average of two businesses:

• Telephone contact is the most common action taken (93%)
• In-person contact (31%)
• Online contact (10%)
• Mail (1%)