The Incredible Hulk of Inbound Marketing vs. the Yellow Pages

It’s been known for over 10 years that the yellow page industry is facing the path of the dodo bird.  The Internet will eventually make it obsolete.  I don’t consider myself a “green” type of guy, but my hatred for the phone book gives me an excuse to be “green” – green like the Incredible Hulk.  Did you know that over five million trees are cut down each year to make phone books and that tax payers are spending $17 million a year to recycle these books.*  

Being the loyal inbound marketer that I am, I tend to grit my teeth every time I see a stack of these books delivered to a building.  In fact, the whole “gritting the teeth thing” is the first step before turning into the big “green” guy known as the Incredible Hulk.  Other inbound marketers that I know actually go through the whole Incredible Hulk transformation.  Just check out Dan and Jim below!

Top reasons why your business shouldn’t spend money on yellow page ads

1. 

   Yellow page ads are way too EXPENSIVE.
2. Rates go up every year.
3. Your investment starts from scratch every year.
4. The ROI is very poor or negative compared to other forms of marketing.
5. Their business model reminds me of an organized crime shake down.
6. If your business is in multiple areas that means multiple ads.
7. Distribution numbers for the books are skewed and false because they’re delivered to people that don’t ask for it.
8. Today’s consumers have moved on.
9. Tomorrow’s consumers will find local companies using their smart phone.
10. Over 60% of the US population is under the age of 40 and the vast majority of them never use the phone book.
11. If you do buy yellow page ads you’ll be contributing to thousands of inbound marketers transforming into the Incredible Hulk.

Why you should spend your old yellow page budget on inbound marketing

1. Strategic inbound marketing costs less than most yellow page campaigns.
2. Your investment doesn’t expire after one year and rates are very flexible depending on your goals.
3. Inbound marketing tactics boast some of the highest ROI numbers in all of marketing.
4. The business model is simple – provide people with solutions to their problems via the internet that are easy to find, available to them when they need it, and in the format they want it in.
5. Inbound marketing analytics are trackable, traceable and true.
6. If your business is in multiple geographic areas - No problem!
7. Today’s consumers are on the internet in droves.  Marketing can only take place were the people are.
8. Inbound marketing is mobile phone compatible.
9. According to Google, as of 2008 230,630,000 people in the United States are online.
10. You’ll be saving thousands of inbound marketers from turning green and embarrassing themselves on YouTube!
11. And many, many more. . .

Photo Credit 1:  Eneas
Photo Credit 2:  Michelle Schenck
*Stats from BanThePhoneBook.org

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