This is the new ad I drew up today. Our book can do full color so I thought I would take advantage of it.
How many of you do your own artwork?
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Looks good Jerry!
I just got one of the 3 different 2005 phone books today. The second one is also due today or tomorrow & the one that promised to be first has not been heard from yet.
I did my own artwork, different variations of the same ad for the different sizes offered by the 3 books. (kinda hard to imagine a sign guy not doing his own, but I know some of us farm out some marketing graphics to better designers)
This is my ad:
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
Doug
looks good. I like your idea of having the credit cards on there. If they don't have cash in their pocket, I can take their plastic too.
Posted by Mark Perkins (Member # 296) on :
Nice design Jerry.....but if you're paying for full color I would try some different colors in your design to make it stand out on that yellow page.
Posted by Denis E. Renaud (Member # 4610) on :
This is our yellow page add for the coming 2005 yellow pages
1st time posting images "hope this works"
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
added some more color, and some credit card logos.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
NICE ad Denis! (Nice Truck too)
looking good Jerry, how bid will your ad be? Mine is about dollar bill size.
I hope you don't mind some constructive critique...
I don't know if you have run any ads in the past, but I think the 3D bevel stuff may get lost with the resolution they use. Actually, in my experience, sometimes styuff that can't be accurately reproduced ends up looking worse then if it was just solid sharp edged contours. I would honestly consider losing all the bevels on your borders & flourishes. I think the 3D look in your company name may be big enough to appreciate, but the flourishes for example may look really ragged. Dark too... & the ph #... you want to see that stuff, I'd go with the cream or gold
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
about dollar bill size also. They have really good resolution with their printing. Last year I had some photos of painted helmets and they looked awesome in the book.
Good idea on the phone number. after changing the background color I lost some contrast on it.
Posted by Gavin Chachere (Member # 1443) on :
personal opinion maybe but i think the credit card logos should both be in the same place and have more contrast from the backround
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Our Yellow Page ad is as seen below... . . . . . .
. we don't have one because they are overpriced and don't work...
Just our personal opinion!!! Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
Dave
they have so much room to haggle on price. I was taught that if you are not embarrassed by your first offer, you paid too much. My yellow page sales lady hates me. Today after I made her an offer and she said no, I picked up the phone and asked her what her bosses phone number was. By the time she left I got the bill down from over $1800 to $1000, and that was full color in TWO BOOKS. I felt bad when she left.......................................................not really. Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Jerry, I suggest you also incorporate a "hook" line in your ad to help onlookers remember you.
"Don't waste your dough..call a PRO!
(or something like the above.) Hook lines really do work. Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
Hook? The name used by the experts is "MEME" ,, rhymes with dream..
ITs not necessarily a gimmicky saying, just something that stays in your mind. Its like a mental virus,, once in ,, cant get it out..
Give us the dominies pizza MEME. ?????????????? Fresh hot pizza delived in 30 mins or less..
Give is the FedEx MEME
When it absolutly has to be there the next day...
good use of a good meme is not gimicky.. But, is it good to use expensive space for a line your customers don't care about??
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Doug, and Jerry, in my little bit of YP advertising, I've tried lots of variations of wording.
At times, looking at other signwriter's ads in which a lot list the bunch of things they do (shops, cars, trucks, windows...etc) I'd decided to save space & just say "All signage" or words to that effect and leave more room for the rest of the ad. Other times I've gone the other way.
Summary: in YP ads, potential customers want to know before they call up, if you'll be able to help them. So if they want a window painted, they'll more likely call an ad which specifically lists those words (window splashes), rather than an ad which generically says "All types of signwriting". And so on it goes.
In general, the more USEFUL text your YP ad has, the better.
At times it pays to do as the Romans do, and at times it pays to do the opposite.
Just my $0.02 ! Best wishes!
Posted by Alphonse Dente (Member # 4993) on :
I'm with Dave.
For the first 5 or 6 years we were in business, we ran 1/4 page, then 1/8 page and finally just a line listing. Now we've been running just the free listing for about 20 years. We're always busy.
I'm convinced that people don't buy signs based on yellow page ads, but rather on referal. (They saw a truck job they liked...they liked the sign across the street...the sign that was on the building when they rented it was nice..etc)
I found that all the yellow pages brought me were price shoppers (and I get paid well for what I do). What's more agrevating than being in than being in the middle of gilding a job, and having to stop and talk to someone who's calling everyone in the book to find the best price on magnetic signs?
On that subject; here's an interesting philosophy. In 25 plus years, I've never signed my name, or shop name to a sign or truck lettering job. Here's why: My customer is spending their hard-earned money to advertise THEIR business, not mine. If I do my job well enough, people will ask who did it. If They aren't asking, then I probably didn't deserve to have my name on it anyways.
Sorry, I strayed a bit. Your ad looks nice Jerry. I like the earth tones. (Although the bright colors work on Doug's design, as he's located in paradise!)
Yes, it's snowing here. Hard
-Al
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
I'm with Al & Dave. All the YP ever brought me was tire-kickers. BUT if this is what you feel you need, Jerry, go for it.
I like the second design, but I would make the phone number white, maybe put a thin white contour around the credit card stuff. AND....
I am not a huge fan of brown, I would go for the Yuppie Fave Combo of maroon background & hunter green in the border where you have brownish, with cream and/or white lettering in the maroon and keep the black in the cream panel, but I would use a nice sans serif alphabet like Chesham Sans. I would also use Chesham for the address instead of having too many typestyles competing.
The idea of the brackets/hangers and the ad looking like a mini-sign is cute. I would also tweak the N in DESIGN a bit taller by using the capital version so that it echoes the closeness to the border of the P in PRO.
There ya go, I'm all nit-picky this morning! Love....Jill Posted by Barbara Murrell (Member # 3879) on :
I was paying nearly £300 a month for my yp add last year. I had two calls from it, one of which brought in a house name plate for £25.00!!!!!!!!!!!
Not really worth it for me. I'd rather spend that money on setting up a web site. Now, I've just given myself a good idea. Boy it's good this BB isn't it?
Barb
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I also find the yellow pages to be over priced and ineffective.
But to continue the strayed thoughts of Alphonse, I do put my shop name on signs. Yes I've had people say they've asked customers who made their sign, but I've had more that said they saw my name on a sign they liked. Some of my competitors are starting to copy my designs and I refuse to let anyone think this other guy made one of mine.
I pay good money for my trucks, appliances, clothes, etc. How many high end items don't have the manufacturers name on it? I'm proud of my work and not afraid to label it. I've had truckers tell me they want my logo on their trucks somewhere. They actually want to tell people who did their truck! Not labeling your signs can work for you but not the next guy. You basically have to decide what's best for your situation.
[ January 05, 2005, 10:41 AM: Message edited by: Dave Sherby ]
Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
Nice ads Jerry, Doug, and Denis!
I agree with Dave Sherby. We opted to spend the money on our 24/7 business ad......Our building & Sign! We are going to landscape in the spring to complement both of them. Dan S. mentioned that in an earlier post. Money spent on Yellow Pages is gone forever, money spent on our facilities will return in clientele, and real estate investment.
Unless someone has hard proof that they are worth the investment?? Other than what the yellow page salesman says, how effective are they really??
[ January 05, 2005, 10:00 PM: Message edited by: Rick Beisiegel ]
Posted by mark zilliox (Member # 3873) on :
Sam Walton, of Walmart, said once about the cost of marketing ," half the money i spend on advertising is a waste !, the only problem is i'm not sure what half!". true quote.
we use ad's since the comp. & new business owners-our market like all of us that are proactive & ambitious,usually go to them. But it's very simple & clear to read ,we place our website on their boldly, & say "our porfolio is proof!" naturally it ain't, but these Redskin lovin' rednecks don't know !
Go Steelers. Jerry, thanks again, the client was very pleased. amen !!
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Well, my last year's YP ad wasn't a great one at all, but in the three weeks before Christmas, I had enough jobs come in specifically from that ad alone to more than pay for the annual charge.
There are LOTS of variables though.
Try and remember to ask each customer/caller how they got onto you, or what prompted them to call you. You'll learn a lot!
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