Diminishing Returns Spur Some Lawyers to Re-Evaluate Yellow Pages Ads
Some Wisconsin lawyers are re-evaluating phone book advertising because they are getting less bang for their buck.
The Wisconsin Law Journal spoke with several lawyers who say they are getting fewer calls from their ads or fewer quality clients. Bankruptcy lawyer James Miller of Miller & Miller is one of them. He said traditional phone book advertising used to produce about half his firm’s business; today it brings in about 10 percent. He plans to reduce his commitment to phone book ads in the next couple years.
“I could pull out of the Yellow Pages today and not feel any pain,” Miller told the Wisconsin Law Journal. “I couldn’t have said that five years ago.”
Another lawyer, Michael Leffler of Action Law Offices, said he plans to stop advertising in the phone book in the next three to five years. But he fears pulling out now because his competitors will get his ad space.
Meanwhile, phone book publishers are trying to offer more diversified advertising. AT&T Yellow Pages has a “Flex Bundle” package that combines online and print ads, and a “platinum” online package that gives premium placement on YP.com and a link to the advertiser’s website.
