Phone Cos. Walk Tightrope with White Pages Kill Request

Verizon and other land line phone companies are appealing to state regulators to approve their request to cease production of white pages residential directories. Sighting a severe decline in use, fewer than 10% of directories are ever used according to a Verizon spokesman; the company would stop production immediately. Interestingly enough however they are committed to continue producing the yellow pages. And according to the Yellow Pages Association more than 50% of Americans use the yellow page printed directory each month. So which is it? Do we use these books at a rate of 50% or 10%? A Chicago Tribune article on the topic stated phone companies argued that consumers now check out the internet rather than flipping through the guide to find a residential phone number. But you would think this behavior shift would also transfer to looking up local companies too, no? Of course it does.

First we need to understand white page directories fall on the expense side of Verizon’s business while the yp’s are on the fatty revenue side. Then the picture becomes clearer. If you also consider it is unlikely phone company employees are going to lie to state and federal regulators then it stands to reason the usage number that is probably more correct is the 10%.

So if offline directory usage is at 10% and you are, say a towing company serving a 30 mile radius how many of those customers are finding you? It is time to get serious about your local advertising plan for your tow company. You cannot afford to give your competition a 90% head start and then expect to compete.

I often hear cash calls are down but I really think cash calls are about the same and the tow companies that get the calls are not the same ones getting these calls 10 years ago.

Its time, their dead, lets move forward. Get a plan for your tow company to advertise online. Online marketing is much more versatile and impactful than its aging offline grandfather and should cost less than what you are paying in yellow page ads now.

Chicago Tribune Article
NJ.com Article

Employee Loyalty As A Company Endorsement

It is fair to say many tow companies just do not have the resources to promote themselves with non traditional message channels. Be it through press releases, interview inquiries or even social media channels like Facebook or LinkedIn. It often requires skills not inherent to our industry or a substantial time commitment from an employee to figure it all out.

I found a great example of a tow company sending our a press release about their 30th anniversary of business with a message wrapped around employee loyalty. It is a fantastic way to promote an important company milestone without looking self-promoting. North Shore Towing in Chicago's Northern suburbs issued a press release through prweb.com (a completely free service which allows you to submit info that they will them disseminate via their proprietary network of news and search contacts) messaging the fact that their very first hire is still with the company. The release goes on to highlight a few employees and their overall family atmosphere and commitment to providing quality services.

A TowProgram tip of the cap to the folks at North Shore Towing. Any time we can get a positive message into the public discussion about members of of the towing community towing as a whole benefits. Selecting a towing provider should not be fear based. Consumers should have access to information helping them choose a provider who is professional, reliable and an active within the community.