When was the last time you used a Yellow Pages book? Once a staple in every home in the US, it isn’t nearly as easy to find this resource anymore. As the world went digital, new tools became available to find what we needed. Yet, in the last 5-10 years, I have had so many clients say to me, “Yellow Pages used to work pretty well for me for advertising, but the phone just isn’t ringing anymore. What should I do?” I have secretly called this the “yellow pages effect,” and I am now sharing this phenomenon with you.
It is important to stay on top of where your audience is. In fact, it is a key to successful marketing. You can have the best message in the world, but if you are not putting it in front of your target markets in a place they would be likely to receive it, you are not going to get much traction for your business.
It is important to stay on top of where your audience is. #marketing #smallbusiness #smallbiz #business #entrepreneur #biztips
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Clients asking me about why the Yellow Pages isn’t working for them as well anymore is indicative of a larger question: Why are some of the things I used to do to market to my audience not as effective now?
The truth is that – for every client who has asked me this question about the Yellow Pages – when we actually looked at when they started to see a drop off, it had been years earlier. In some cases, many years. In that time, their audience moved. Their audience was spending time or looking for information in other places. Even the YELLOW PAGES itself changed its format and created digital publications, because they, too, knew that they had to adapt.
As a small business owner, you want to simplify. Your to do list is full each day. You don’t want to re-open questions that you have answered in the past. But, when it comes to marketing, you need to continually monitor to make sure that you are keeping in front of the audience you wanted to reach and that your message is still appropriate. The world changes – both yours and theirs. If you make micro-adjustments on a regular basis, you may just save yourself from having to make a massive marketing change down the road.
If you make micro-adjustments on a regular basis, you may just save yourself from having to make a massive marketing change down the road. #marketing #smallbusiness #smallbiz #business #entrepreneur
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Very rarely does an audience shift to a completely new space overnight. Usually, we have a little lead time as people begin to become accustomed to new places, influencers, events, or tools. If you are keeping your eyes open, you can prepare yourself to move with them.
Consider the marketing you do. Is there anything at all that you are doing that doesn’t seem to be working as well as it once was? Now is the time to reassess. Consider what adjustments you can make to be more effective. Don’t be the person who wakes up one day and asks, “Where did my audience go?”
The post The Yellow Pages Effect – Keeping Up with Your Audience’s Whereabouts appeared first on Melissa Forziat Events and Marketing.