Are the Yellow Pages still relevant?

[Hammy71]

Several times a year, sometime in the early morning, a piece of useless liter is so nicely plopped on my front lawn. This yellow bag with it's thick yellow book is nothing but a mild annoyance. Yes, it's a first world problem for me. It always goes straight into the recycling bin without even a cursory peak inside. But a question enters my mind each time this occurs..... Who actually uses these things anymore? Who is the salesmen(women) of the century that can still sell advertising in this thing? Who/what actually does still advertise in these things and finds a return? I dunno, may the very aged may still use these damn things, but for the life of me, I don't get it. GO AWAY! Go away oh dinosaur of a by gone era!! Go away and stop littering my yard with your uselessness.... OK.... I feel better now.

 

[Zuljin]

I love getting the Yellow Pages! They make great backstops for pellet gun shooting.

 

[LLBeanJ]

 

[JonM]

Ya beat me to it^.

 

[IslandLizard]

You can mock the Yellow Pages all you want, I still find them very useful. As old tech as they are, they're probably the best resource to find local businesses. The local Yellow Pages are more useful than the one covering the larger city/area nearby, as that is too large an area to browse manually.

Example:
Scouring listings in "welding supplies," "industrial gasses," "fire protection," etc., I called around and found a "local" company to fill my CO2 tanks, 8 miles away. I also found a few that swap. Searches on the internet did not reveal all of those, and I am savvy with search strings and drilling them down.

I agree, the paper copy is a total waste of valuable resources, and instead, access to searchable online directories, organized and browseable like the Yellow Pages, would alleviate that painful realization. But we all know how much money Verizon makes on those YP ads.

 

[MaddBaggins]

Mine go straight into the recycle bin.

 

[Hammy71]

I love getting the Yellow Pages! They make great backstops for pellet gun shooting.

Damn it, why didn't I think of that? Finally a use!! Or maybe fire pit starter. I must thank you, I now will find 'fun' uses for the next one.

 

[Hammy71]

You can mock the Yellow Pages all you want, I still find them very useful. As old tech as they are, they're probably the best resource to find local businesses. The local Yellow Pages are more useful than the one covering the larger city/area nearby, as that is too large an area to browse manually.

Example:
Scouring listings in "welding supplies," "industrial gasses," "fire protection," etc., I called around and found a "local" company to fill my CO2 tanks, 8 miles away. I also found a few that swap. Searches on the internet did not reveal all of those, and I am savvy with search strings and drilling them down.

I agree, the paper copy is a total waste of valuable resources, and instead, access to searchable online directories, organized and browseable like the Yellow Pages, would alleviate that painful realization. But we all know how much money Verizon makes on those YP ads.

Ah....but I bet I can find any thing your looking for faster on my little smart phone. And I'll find the address and dial with the push of one button. No shame though in using the comfounded things, just a waste for me though.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

No. Problem is, there is no concise yellow pages directory anymore. Used to be 1 company, 1 book (though larger cities had multiple volumes), and that was that. If a company bought an ad, they were in the book; I'm not sure, but at some point, they might've listed the biz name & number for free. If they weren't in the yellow pages, they didn't get much, if any biz.

Nowadays, there are multiple yellow pages & multiple phone books; published by multiple companies. One book will have listings the rest don't have & they're all like that. A business buys an ad from 1 company, but not all, therefore only that 1 book has that biz listed. But you never know which book to look in, there are 3 just for little old Missoula, MT. I refuse to look through 3 damned phone books for a number.

At least 3 times a year I find these "books" littering my steps. They have become quite annoying. I don't use them, I don't want them, I'd like to take them all back to where they were issued from & beat those responsible for their distribution over the head with them, but if I did, for some reason, I'd be the bad guy. I really hate living in town.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. End rant.
Regards, GF.

 

[Tin4]

Several times a year, sometime in the early morning, a piece of useless liter is so nicely plopped on my front lawn. This yellow bag with it's thick yellow book is nothing but a mild annoyance. Yes, it's a first world problem for me. It always goes straight into the recycling bin without even a cursory peak inside. But a question enters my mind each time this occurs..... Who actually uses these things anymore? Who is the salesmen(women) of the century that can still sell advertising in this thing? Who/what actually does still advertise in these things and finds a return? I dunno, may the very aged may still use these damn things, but for the life of me, I don't get it. GO AWAY! Go away oh dinosaur of a by gone era!! Go away and stop littering my yard with your uselessness.... OK.... I feel better now.

It sells itself clearly. Advertising is what's been keeping them going for ever.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

People that don't have the internet use the yellow pages. My mom is not internet savvy and if she needs any services for her house, she uses the yellow pages.

MC

 

[Hammy71]

It sells itself clearly. Advertising is what's been keeping them going for ever.

Clearly, but I guess my question is how do they quantify the coverage. Is the ROI realistic? It must be dirt cheap to advertise in it.

 

[WI_Wino]

After several phone calls, we were able to get off of the distribution list. I haven't seen one in two or three years. Viva le internet!

 

[fuzzy2133]

As a business owner we still get calls from grandma and grandpa who look us up in the yellow pages. I know my parents are fairly good with the internet but it is faster for them to use the yellow pages. I managed to also get our ad highlighted in their "NEW APP!" I don't know if it is worth the extra money but got a "deal (only $20)" on it since I was ready to cancel our ad with yellow pages. The books make decent wheel blocks too.

There is definitely a increase in traffic coming from google+ and the sketchy Yelp site.

 

[Tin4]

Clearly, but I guess my question is how do they quantify the coverage. Is the ROI realistic? It must be dirt cheap to advertise in it.

It's habit. I have to deal with print frequently, and aside from some very basic metrics there's just a long standing thought of "It works, don't question it.".

I don't get it, but then I rarely do.

 

[Hammy71]

As a business owner we still get calls from grandma and grandpa who look us up in the yellow pages. I know my parents are fairly good with the internet but it is faster for them to use the yellow pages. I managed to also get our ad highlighted in their "NEW APP!" I don't know if it is worth the extra money but got a "deal (only $20)" on it since I was ready to cancel our ad with yellow pages. The books make decent wheel blocks too.

There is definitely a increase in traffic coming from google+ and the sketchy Yelp site.

Wheel Blocks!!! Another awesome idea/use!!

 

[illinoisbrassman]

A guy I work with, collects all the old phone books when they pass out the new copies. He keeps a stack of them in his office to rip in half when he gets frustrated.

 

[Psylocide]

Yes... yes, they are.

 

[Nova5]

Litter goes right where it belongs... back off my property.

 

[TxBrew]

They make good kindling for my bonfires.

 

[Homercidal]

My wife uses them every day. She keeps a couple under her second computer monitor to level it up with her first monitor...