This week’s article was written by John Morana, president of MaxEffect Yellow Page Ad Design.

He did a cool redesign of the ad that Alan Saltz analyzed a few weeks back. I asked John to share his thoughts on Yellow Pages ad design.

This was the original (terrible) ad

Here's the ad that John created

Here’s what he wrote to our YP reps. . .


Prove that you care about RESULTS and they will buy, BIG TIME!

So, your goal is to sell lots and lots of bigger, more colorful, more expensive ads, huh? Well, maybe that's the reason you're not selling as many big, colorful, expensive ads as you'd like.

Show your customers how to develop a tantalizing ad that'll make their phones explode with calls and they'll be chasing you down to sign on the dotted line. In fact, your sales will begin to flow like the mighty Niagara.

How do you accomplish this amazing feat? It's not that difficult. First, you need to know what really drives a prospect to make the call in the first place. Secondly, you should hone your design skills because regardless of what some may say, design skills help... IMMEASURABLY!

Take a look at the previously submitted ad and the one we're showing you today. Which one do you think is going to get your customer "hot and bothered" about advertising in the Yellow Pages? Enough said.


Here's what you should be preaching to your prospects:

Put aside color, ad size, and all that research data stuff.

Instead, focus your attention on just two vital questions:

1. Exactly WHOM do you want to call you?

2. Exactly WHAT motivates that particular individual to WANT what you've got?

Answer these two questions correctly and you WILL make large sums of money advertising in the Yellow Pages.


Your message is master!

Once you've initially identified your target individuals and you've taken a stab at determining what they truly want, it's time to get real serious about your message.

If you spend a total of 10 hours developing your ad, 7 hours should be spent on your HEADLINE and body copy... it's the HEART of your ad. Go into a trance and meditate, or go fly a kite... block out the entire world and place yourself in the buyers' frame of mind. Try to feel what they're feeling and think what they're thinking at the exact moment they need your service. Jot down all of the most important benefits they seek. What's going to make them feel good about calling YOU?

List your top 3 benefits in order of importance, eliminate all but the first one, and you're left with your very own, unique HEADLINE... the single most important element of your ad! So important that if it fails (or even worse, is missing), your entire ad is doomed to fail.

Now take this #1 benefit and develop several variations. Work on your captivating headline until it practically forces people to read the rest of the ad. Then run it big and bold at the very top. Your headline should be the focus and theme of the entire ad. All of the other elements (body copy, artwork, photos, etc.) should somehow relate to and reinforce this main benefit.

Communicate your unique message (headline and body copy) to your target individual in a unique and compelling fashion, and your job is 70% complete. The remaining 30% is the design or look of your ad, but it is equally important if you want to develop the most effective ad possible. (See the Before and After examples mentioned above.)


A few Dos and Don'ts to remember:

  • Don't try to reach multiple audiences; don't stray from the main theme created by your headline. This will only dilute your message and weaken the overall impact of your ad. Remember, you must laser-focus one message to one individual person. Focus on the one target audience you MOST want to attract.
  • Don't plaster your name or logo big and bold at the top of your ad. The shopper doesn't care about your name, logo, etc. They only want to know what's in it for them and how YOU will solve their problem better than your competitors. Your headline belongs up at the very top, nothing else!
  • Don't try to tell the whole story, be selective and concise. Your one and only objective is to generate a phone call. State only what is necessary to make your phone ring, not a single word more. That may mean eliminating your email address, URL and even business hours. If your ad is TRULY effective, they'll be clamoring to call you for business hours, Web site, etc.
  • Don't waste valuable real estate on a thick, artsy border. A fancy border, no matter how beautiful, will NEVER motivate a reader to pick up the phone. It'll only eat up precious space that should be used for your targeted message and powerful, eye-grabbing graphics.
  • Don't use a bunch of different fonts in your ad. Use one or two font families and vary the style (light, italic, bold, etc.) depending on what you want to emphasize. This will give your ad a uniform, professional appearance and help convey an image of quality and value. The exception is your headline, which may be in a different, more decorative font to set it off from the rest of the copy (and your competitors' ads). Make your headline SCREAM, big and bold. It's got to grab their attention and draw them into the rest of your ad.

Things to DO...

  • Do study your competitors' ads very carefully and DON'T DO what they're doing. The whole point is to stand out from the clutter, not blend in.
  • Do brainstorm a lot of different ideas for your headline, no matter how bizarre they may seem. Think out-of-the-box --way out-- and let your creative juices flow. When you're done, go back and choose those you feel will best connect with the reader. Powerful, phone-ringing concepts are often developed from ideas that initially seemed whacked out and off the wall.
  • Do use the "second person" when writing your ad copy. The use of "YOU" draws the reader into your message on a personal level. It puts them in a comfortable place, making it much easier for you to persuade them to take action.
  • Do choose your artwork or photography carefully. Pick the unusual, the unexpected! Just make sure the images help reinforce your main message (headline). Pest control ads are notorious for using all the wrong images. There are thousands of GENERIC rats and bugs crawling in Yellow Page ads all across the country. They do nothing to set the ad apart from its competitors' ads. They only make it blend in with ALL the rest... not good!
  • Do include a Call to Action and make it meaningful. Would you want an "incredible offer and special 7-step report"? Or would you rather learn how to protect your loved ones from West Nile Virus and other diseases spread by mosquitoes? Speak to the heart of your prospects!
  • Finally, Do take your time to develop honest, one-on-one copy that fully engages the reader and excites their senses. Nothing sells like the truth. And remember, shoppers ALWAYS ultimately base their buying decision on emotional factors (benefits, not features). Push their emotional "hot buttons" and you will attract a huge share of potential buyers.

Your Yellow Page customers have soooo much to gain from this unique medium, it's almost scary. But remember, the fearful advertiser will always lose the game. It's those who dare to stand out that are winning and grinning all the way to the bank!

If they're bold, if they're daring... your customers WILL be Yellow Page winners, and of course, so will you! Now go out there and show 'em what REALLY gets those phones ringing!

John Morana

MaxEffect Yellow Page Ad Design

(c)2003 www.max-effect.com



John Morana is the president of MaxEffect Yellow Page Ad Design. His firm designs hard-hitting Yellow Page advertising that focuses on getting results for his clients. You can learn more by visiting http://www.max-effect.com, emailing john@max-effect.com, or calling 800-726-7006.