Where Have All The Calls Gone From Lawyer Yellow Page Ads?

Every week, I get calls from lawyers complaining that they are no longer getting calls from yellow page advertising. They're frightened to stop promoting since they've done so well in the past. They're curious about what's going on and what they should do.

Lawyers aren't the only ones, it appears. Dr. Peter Fernandez, D.C., a yellow page, print advertising, and practise management consultant for chiropractors, answers the question "Why has advertising in the Yellow Pages changed from one of the best ways to advertise to one of the worst in just a few years?" in his article "Quit wasting money on Yellow Page advertising." (See number one below.)

The purpose of this page is to describe where all of the calls went. Because of the expense, I think attorneys began advertising in the Yellow Pages far earlier than on television; most lawyers were hesitant to be early adopters of television advertising; and lawyers were chased by yellow page salesmen but not by TV salespeople. From 1976 until the mid-1980s, the Yellow Pages and classified newspaper ads were the only places where a potential client could locate a lawyer advertising. As a result, lawyers who advertised in the Yellow Pages had little competition and enjoyed excellent success.

The Yellow Pages got extremely busy as more attorneys flocked to it. Many attorneys advertising in the Yellow Pages have found, after a few pioneers, what every other business has long known: television is by far the most effective and cost-efficient medium. According to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, attorneys spent $287.3 million on TV from January to September 2004, compared to $71.3 million on print media, $11.4 million on radio, and $4.1 million on Internet advertising. The public's opinion of television receives votes for Most Authoritative and Most Exciting, according to study conducted by the Television Bureau of Advertising. TV outperforms other media in both areas, being both influential and convincing.

When you acquire media that reaches a larger number of people, your cost per person reached from advertising is decreased, much like when you buy anything wholesale or in huge numbers. Broadcast television reaches many more people than a county-wide yellow pages directory, and so costs far less per person reached. There are 29 counties served by television in the New York DMA (broadcast TV market). If each county just had one yellow page book, you'd have to advertise in 29 yellow pages to reach the same geographic region as television. Each county, unfortunately, has numerous yellow page books. Because they reach fewer individuals, smaller neighbourhood yellow page books offer even lower returns on investment. Many lawyers have discovered this.

Potential clients are now being diverted away from yellow pages books as a result of the enormous number of attorneys advertising on television. Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated in the sphere of personal injury. People who have been seriously injured are generally in a hospital bed or at home watching TV. Lawyers that advertise on television reach potential accident clients before they can even go through the yellow pages.

There was just one yellow page book when attorneys first started advertising. Three, four, or even five county-wide yellow page books are now typical, as are multiple town, community, or neighbourhood yellow page books. Some advertisers have even lost their Yellow Pages advertising because they signed a contract with another yellow page publication without understanding it was a separate book and couldn't afford two. Because most consumers keep one yellow page book and discard the others, the challenge for advertisers is whether to advertise in one or all of them. Will your ad appear in a yellow-page book that is tossed in the trash? I only have one book in my possession.

While there was previously just one Yellow Page book in town that received 100% of yellow page advertising income, they are now losing a significant portion of that money to multiple rival yellow page books, yet their running expenses stay constant. Each yellow page book publisher is required to print and distribute the same quantity of books. If all marketers do not promote in all three yellow page books, the publishing businesses will be forced to raise advertising costs, raising the cost of reaching a yellow page consumer. Yellow page books have even started generating additional real estate to sell, such as advertising on the covers, spines, tabbed pages, and even Post-it Notes type adverts, in order to raise money. Yellow-page customers are also diverted by these high-visibility adverts.

Simply said, there was once just one yellow page book in town; advertising in it was less expensive; fewer attorneys advertised in the book; few lawyers advertised on television; the Internet was not what it is today; and many more people used the Yellow Pages than there are now.

So, what does a lawyer have to do with yellow pages? If you're one of the top three or four marketers in your market and have a large enough advertising budget for a comprehensive TV ad campaign that includes billboards and radio, you might want to try advertising in all of the yellow pages. If you aren't one of the major marketers in your market, I recommend that you stop advertising in yellow pages and instead spend your money on television. You should also promote on billboards and radio if you have a 1-800 vanity phone number and additional money in the budget.