You're serious about advertising your business, so you've decided to place an ad in the Yellow Pages. Shouldn't be that difficult, correct? It's just an ad that has the name of your business, a short list of what you do, and your phone number, right? Wrong!

Yellow Page ads are an incredibly important part of your marketing strategy today. To be truly effective, your Yellow Page ad needs to be as nuanced as any targeted direct mailer, as convincing as any quality newspaper ad,  and as effective as a high-priced magazine spread. However, many businesses today treat their Yellow Page ads lightly and don't give them the attention they need to really perform.

Yellow Pages: Old School, But Effective
It may seem "old school," but the truth of the matter is Yellow Page advertising can be incredibly effective. Even in this digital age, the Yellow Pages are the standard for close-of-sale advertising. In other words, the people who come to the Yellow Pages have a need in mind-they are highly qualified prospects-and they will come away from their time flipping through the pages with a phone number and a decision.

It's the job of your Yellow Page advertisement to convince this potential customer they want to do business with you rather than the "other guy." You're spending a lot of money to advertise in the Yellow Pages, so you don't want to leave your customer conversions up to chance, do you?

How Do I Create A Winning Yellow Page Ad?
But, how do you convince your potential customers that they want to do business with you?

It's easy: Avoid the Seven Deadly Sins of Yellow Page Advertising. If you can steer clear of the most common mistakes that businesses make with their Yellow Page ads, you can create a winning ad that will convert prospects into clients every time. Learn how to avoid the Seven Deadly Sins and you'll have a high performance ad that can't be beat.

1. Poor Images
Too many ads today use poor quality, non-emotive images that detract from the overall power of the ad. With so many businesses competing for the reader's attention, you always want your ad to have a powerful image that grabs the reader and evokes a "gut level" response. When you place a particularly potent image in your advertisement-one that makes sense for your business, is compelling to the viewer, and is highly engaging-you are setting your ad up to be noticed. And, getting noticed is the most important first goal you're seeking.

**Thou shall no use bad images in your advertisement.**

2. Weak Headlines
Once you've visually grabbed your prospect's attention, it's time to draw them in with a power-packed headline that speaks directly to why they would want to come to you for your services. With a short, to-the-point headline, your goal is to set your business up as the solution to any problem your prospect may have. Headlines that focus on solutions to the reader's problems (e.g., End Your Back Pain Forever) are powerful and get attention.

**Thou shall avoid weak headlines that have no hooks.**

3. Wasted Space
You are paying top dollar for your advertising "real estate" in the Yellow Pages. Use it wisely! Fill your space with the important information your potential customers need to know. The goal is not to have large empty spaces, but neither is it to fill your ad with useless information. Be surgical in your precision, and make sure every word fulfills the job of promoting you and your business as best it can.

**Thou shall use every inch of your ad space wisely.**

4. Mixed Messaging
Many businesses include information about their services that is totally unnecessary within a Yellow Page ad. Keep your ad on target and on message at all times. Similar to wasted space, you want to make sure you are presenting your business as a credible, focused, and professional entity. Make sure your messaging conveys that.

**Thou shall stay on message at all times.**

5. Short Term Thinking
In most cases, your Yellow Page ad will be in circulation for at least one year at a time. This means you need to be certain that the information you're including in the ad will be as relevant today as it is a year from now. Be careful about including promotions in your ad, unless you're truly willing to still honor them a year from now. Think ahead and craft an ad that takes into account your growth, services, and upcoming changes to your business.

**Thou shall remember to think long term when creating your ad.**

6. Feeble Call-to-Action
Your Yellow Page ad needs to act just like a newspaper promotion-it needs to include an influential call-to-action. What action do you want your reader to take after seeing your ad? If it's to call you, tell them how they can call you. If it's to visit your website, prominently display the URL and tell them you want them to visit the site today. Don't ever leave the decision up to the prospect. Studies prove time and time again that, if you want a particular reaction from your reader, you need to tell them what that action is.

**Thou shall always tell the reader what to do next.**

7. Too Much Ego
The last of the Deadly Sins is probably the most damaging. Many business owners simply won't admit that they need help creating the perfect ad. Don't be one of these stubborn people. Let the experts guide you to the ideal ad-a little investment of your time upfront can help maximize your investment in the long run. Put aside your pride and ask for help.

**Thou shall ask for help if you don't have all the answers.**

If you can avoid these Seven Deadly Sins and follow the "commandments" of effective ad writing, you'll generate a highly-charged Yellow Page advertisement that not only communicates information, but actively draws in customers. When you go live with a well-crafted, precision-tuned ad, you'll know that you're advertising dollars are being well spent. How will you know? You'll see your call volume improving, your client load increasing, and your revenue soaring. All because you took the time to avoid the common pitfalls of Yellow Page advertising and took your business seriously enough to give your best in all you do.