Question
Should I be in the yellow pages for advertising, or should I focus on things like direct mail?
Answer
No doubt, the marketing and sales departments of large publications and media offer all kinds of impressive statistics on the effectiveness of their particular medium. Although many purchase and service decisions are made in the yellow pages, typically healthcare related decisions, including choosing a healthcare provider, are not made based on the yellow pages. Yes, an audiologist should have a presence in the yellow pages so that patients can find you when they are searching the yellow pages; however, size and color add to the cost of advertising in the yellow pages, but do not necessarily add value or marketing effectiveness for audiologists.
Years ago I chose to reduce the size of my yellow pages advertisement, which resulted in my ad being among the smallest under the category of hearing aids. The results included reduced cost with no negative impact in sales or revenue. In fact, the following year, most of my competition followed my lead by reducing the size of their yellow page advertisement to match mine!
Keys to effective marketing include, among other things, understanding your target market, message, balance, consistency, and repetition. 7-9% of a practice's net revenue should be allocated to marketing. In most markets it is important to have a presence in the yellow pages, but many audiologists could reduce the size of their yellow-page ad without compromising effectiveness. Those savings, which can be substantial, could then be used for other marketing such as for direct mail, vanity phone numbers, personalized letters, websites, branding, etc. to help balance a practice's marketing without substantially increasing overall marketing dollars. As with all marketing, tracking is key to determining what is working!
To learn more about AuDNet visit www.aud-net.com or www.HowToHear.com or visit the AuDNet Web Channel on Audiology Online at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/audnet.asp
Kathy Foltner, AuD, is CEO of AuDNet, Inc. She also teaches courses in Practice Management and Basic Business at Rush University Medical Center and PCO. Dr. Foltner can be reached at kfoltner@aud-net.com or 312-593-1787.