Yellow Pages / Yell.com

[spraymate1]

Hi all, I've just started up on my own, and am looking at advertising.
Has anyone took up the free listings in the likes of yellow pages and thompsons, if so is it worth it or do you get constantly hassled with calls from them, wanting you to take out bigger adverts. Advice much appreciated, thanks.

 

[geoffa]

took out the free listing and didn't get a phone call from anyone.
took out a paid ad can't remember what it cost but it was the cheapest option which guaranteed to show me in the results if the search was in the post code area.
what a waste of money.
ad was taken out months ago i've had 4 enquiries, 3 of them from lads from colleges looking for somewhere to work.
you'd be better off advertising in local papers.
best form of advertising though is your quality of work and attitude, and following recommendations. most people i believe, ask someone they know for a good tradesman, rather than take a leap of faith.
getting started is the hardest part

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Take out free listings anywhere because they are FREE. Yes you will get a call or two trying to get you to sign up for paid ad's but that is their job. They don't pester you all the time, but as they give me free listings i put up with it.

I am listed on about 10 or 12 free listing sites and i get bits and bats from them, although on one i went on in december i have had about £2500 of work from it.
But as always the best advertising is word of mouth.

When you first start up you need all the free advertising you can get, so take it. You have to start somewhere. I put business cards up in shops, chippy's and god knows where else, and i do OK by them.

Cheers..........Howard.

PS let us know how you get on.