No More Yellow Pages, Get Online!

I was reading an article on prwire.com that predicts the end of printed yellow pages within 3 years. The article focused on San Francisco specifically, but you have to wonder when the trend will catch on in other places. I have not done any research on the matter personally, but considering the time and resources that go into making a phone book, the prediction is not surprising.

Smart phones are becoming more prevalent and many people have access to a computer at work. If you are like the Spore Creative staff, then everything you do at work is on the computer! The computer is very convenient for some, such as when we were looking at businesses in the area that might need our marketing services. We did not want to take hours driving around town, and we did not flip through phone books. Andrea, our marketing intern, searched online and came up with a list of 21 businesses in Rapid City that need new websites, or don’t have a website at all!

So what does this all mean for your business? Well, any good marketing campaign includes marketing from several angles so that you can reach the greatest percentage of your target market – you know those people that really need your product/services and will come back again and again. First, with the printed yellow pages disappearing, every business must have a solid online presence. This means get a website and keep it updated! Spore Creative specializes in website design. All you need to do is call us up and give us the content. We will take care of the rest.

Second, don’t forget that there is still a segment of the population that does not use the internet or has very limited access. These people can be reached on the radio, with flyers, with posters, or through a variety of other marketing methods. If your customers/clients are not ones to walk around with smart phones in their pockets, then perhaps a more traditional marketing campaign is what you need. Natalie can create awesome posters, brochures, and anything else that you want printed.

Finally, if you have a large and/or diverse target market, then consider having an online/print combo. We have many SEO services that can get your existing site at the top of the search list or we can combine a new website with our SEO services. We can then create posters and mailings for the non-computer users that you wish to reach. The possibilities and combinations are endless.

Don’t let your business become a door-stop along with the disappearing yellow-pages!