Print Still Generates Leads
May 28, 2009 at 7:52 pm 6 comments
Telmetrics released call tracking data showing that print Yellow Pages generates online leads. How can that be? I thought people only used print or online.
The company looked at leads driven by Yellow Page print ads. 44% of the leads were URL visits while 56% were calls – so half of the people that used the print Yellow Pages to find a source then went online. In other words, they started their search with print, not with the supposed solution to all mankind’s troubles — the Internet.
You can read the full release here.
Net net: Print isn’t dead yet. Not even close. That’s why SMB advertisers continue to spend their dollars in the media.
Entry filed under: Print YP Facts. Tags: .
1.
Mike Stewart | December 7, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I love this blog. Going to share it with my followers!
Gotta love your passion for Print KEN!
Cheers,
Mike Stewart
I like the yellow pages, I just prefer an OPT IN and for them to stop the industry practice of saturation distribution. If ya don’t want phone books you shouldn’t get them!
2.
KenC | December 10, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Mike:
Since you have industry background, you know full well that the arrival of a phone book at your doorstep one day out of the year isn’t exactly a critical thing in the day of the average person.
The “saturation distribution” you are not a fan of assures that everyone gets a new, current, updated book. If you then determine there is no need for one (which really befuddles me when people say that even if they are fully wired/connected), then opt-out is an easy step.
It is also the only source that local governments have to provide EVERYONE with the same emergency information (or would you prefer higher taxes as they use other media to communicate, and even then it doesn’t guarantee as wide a distribution).
Publishers are stepping up to opt-out programs. I think it presents the best scenario for all involved.
–Ken
3.
Ed Kohler | December 11, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Ken, the yellow pages industry dumps a tax burden on local communities today. Perhaps the YP industry should offer to cover the cost of disposal of their books? Maybe that would accelerate the move to distribute the books to only those who still use them on a regular enough basis to warrant printing and distributing them?
4.
KenC | December 17, 2009 at 12:03 am
Great idea Ed. Let’s add another tax on to businesses that employs some 50,000+ people now and generates a $1 trillion in economic impact. It’s exactly that kind of thinking that has so many of us worried about the legislation that Congress is screwing around with on health care and cap-and-tax (trade).
Your faulty assumption is that people know when they will need or use a book, hence, only give them out as requested. Perhaps you have some crystal ball to know when your garage door openner will break (as mine did recently), or who you can call to install a new plumbing fixture (yes, I bought the part online, but now needed someone locally to install it — thank you print Yellow Pages), or any of dozens of other regular life events that generate that need to make an informed local buying decision on a product or service we now need.
5.
itreflect | July 7, 2010 at 6:49 am
yes printed yellow pages generate leads but not more than online yellow pages
6.
KenC | July 7, 2010 at 1:06 pm
itreflect: and what are you basing your comments on??