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When it comes to successful Yellow Pages advertising, there are sales and marketing theories galore. Witness the recent explosion of Yellow Page consultants hawking CD's, tapes, manuals, seminars, textbooks ... you name it! My God, you'd think we're in the midst of a Yellow Pages advertising renaissance!

On the surface, this seems like a good thing for the long-neglected Yellow Pages advertiser. If you're spending wads of cash in the Yellow Pages, the more you understand about how this unique medium works, the better your chances of improving your ad response rate and overall ROI. There's a problem though, a big one. There is no one "insider" technique or group of "paint-by-the-numbers" strategies that will lead to incredibly effective, phone-ringing Yellow Page ads.

Don't get me wrong! It's wise to learn all you can about successful Yellow Pages advertising strategies, but at the end of the day, you will need to put "finger-to-keyboard" and infuse all those strategies into a coherent, meaningful and visually appealing advertisement. Sorry but there's no getting around it. Poor ad design skills can kill (or seriously maim) the most powerful Yellow Page ad concepts and strategies. Compelling copy AND superior ad design must work hand in hand in order to achieve the most effective Yellow Pages ad possible. When orchestrated by a master designer, your ad elements will blend into a wonderful symphony that bellows "confidence and trust" into the ears of your prospects. After all, it's their trust in your solution that will force them to call YOU, before any of your competitors.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done because numerous factors can effect the success of your Yellow Page ad. Factors that most Yellow Pages consultants don't tell you about or worse, are not even aware of themselves. For instance:

* Exactly how do you develop a captivating, "unique" headline that differentiates your business in a meaningful way and forces prospects to read your entire ad?
* What role will typography play in your ads' success?
* Do you know the best point size for your headline, in relation to your sub-head or body copy?
* What font styles and sizes will help you get your message across in the clearest way possible?
* Can your headline font benefit from kerning?
* What's the best leading to use in your body copy, in order to make the best possible use of available ad space?
* What role does "white space" play in the navigation of your ad?
* What are the best types of images to use for optimum reproduction on cheap Yellow Pages stock?
* What kinds of images will best draw attention and help reinforce your headline concept?
* How do you scale and crop your photo for maximum visual impact?

Perhaps most importantly... How do you "learn" 1) artistic visual insight and 2) the ability to conjure up unique, out-of-the-ordinary and persuasive ad copy from reading a manual?

These are just a few considerations. Some are very subtle, others not so... there are dozens more. The bottom line is this... If you want the greatest return possible, you must run the most effective ad possible. Kinda makes sense, doesn't it? Otherwise, you're flushing your precious ad dollars down the tube.

So go ahead, learn all you can! But when push comes to shove, don't rely on a generalist, salesperson or manual to help you with your Yellow Page ad design. There's far too much at stake. Hire a true Yellow Page ad design specialist who has the necessary ad design prowess, copywriting skills and Yellow Pages advertising experience necessary to make your phones dance to a new tune. Call me at 800-726-7006, let's dance!

About the Author

Explosive Yellow Pages advertising...Yellow Pages advertising design that works! Call John Morana at 800-726-7006 for expert advice and a FREE no-obligation Yellow Page ad evaluation. Learn more about maximizing your Yellow Pages advertising ROI at www.max-effect.com