Hubspot has written an article about the demise of the Yellow Pages and posted some interesting facts about that. We all know the Yellow Pages have been fading for years. This is mainstream news. Nothing new.
But some interesting nuances are appearing at the shores of the mainstream. (I always find the “edges” of interest.) There are some businesses (plumbers, contractors, etc.) that still derive a fair amount of income from their Yellow Pages ads. As with all marketing venues, there is no “all or nothing” solution. It’s all about testing it out for yourself, knowing something about customer behavior and where they “hang out”.
In addition to knowing where your customers are, new leads can be related to your web site landing page… or your receptionist, for that matter… as the “device” that helped close the sale. Your entire marketing system needs to be “in sync” to convert a lead. Everyone needs to be on board and in harmony with the company marketing position.
And in the last few years, mobile has changed the game dramatically. Not sure many of us have even begun to deal with this because it’s gaining momentum quickly and somewhat behind-the-scenes. For instance, I don’t see huge numbers of mobile users on my web site analytics or on my clients’ web analytics. Nevertheless you know that mobile users are using their phones to access social media and the web in droves using sites like Yelp, Twitter and Facebook. They are talking about your market, your competition and you. They are even TEXTING about you…and that doesn’t come up in your Web Site analytics!
So Marketing is becoming “distributed”. It’s no longer about single “shout points” like your yellow pages ad or web site alone. Read on for some interesting facts from Hubspot:
Excerpt: “Yellow Pages used to represent the final stage of the buying process when people were ready to make a purchase decision. But today the buying process is no longer a linear path ending with the book. Instead, it follows the curves and tools of emerging online technologies. Some Quick Facts: …Traditional land lines are being disconnected at a rate of nearly 10% each year. Consumers increasingly consider online services before Yellow Pages as they make purchase decisions “Yellow Page usage amongst people in their…50s, will drop to near zero over the next five years.” — Bill Gates”
Source: Hubspot Marketing
