Yellow Page Ads Reach the Older Generation.

[ed rogers]

We all have had to deal with the annoyance of removing a Yellow Pages directory from our front doorstep only to place it directly in the trash.  You would be surprised at the fact there are many Americans who still use the Yellow Pages and have a land line telephone in their home.  

Many of these individual are baby boomers that are late in retirement age.  Dental practices cater to patients of all ages. During a person's entire life span they will still need to visit some type of dental practice, even after they lose their teeth.

Many dentists like to cater and specialize in various age groups to meet their dental needs.

Geriatric dentistry comes into play due to the fact that the American population is aging.

In general, people are living longer due to advancements in the medical field and with improved medical care, sanitation and public health and living conditions have allowed people to live longer than they did years ago.

With increasing life expectancy there are many more older people that are in the US due to the baby boom that occurred after World War II at the end of July 1945.

Many soldiers came home following the war and the US birth rates expanded. Many of the children that were born during and after this until 1964 are known as the "baby boomer" generation.

Baby boomers make up a large percentage of the population in the US. This population now has individuals who range from 48 years on up to 70 years old.

This group still has not embraced the computer world and dependence on cell phone technology as the younger generation has done.

Many baby boomers still operate as they did 20-30 years ago.

There are some who are up to speed on all the latest technology but many still use methods of communication that was used in the 1970's and 1980's.

For dentists who want to reach this audience it is surprising to know that many people who are aged 65 and up still do not have access to computers and do not know how to operate one.

In order to market to this audience it is still necessary to use one of the most prolific forms of marketing that was very popular during the 70's and 80's is Yellow Page advertising.

Many older people still use Yellow Page directories to find what they need to function.

When they need a plumber, repairman or even a dentist in their area they go to the Yellow Pages to find an advertiser who has an ad they feel comfortable with and contact them.

Dentist that want to reach the older market should still invest in a large Yellow Page ad.

The problem is even though this is a dying marketplace, the pricing is still expensive.

A large Yellow Page ad can run anywhere from $2500 a month and as much as $10,000 a month based on the market size of where the ad runs.

The return on investment is greater based on the amount of money that is spent for the ad which is hopefully recovered in new business clients looking for a dentist.

Dentists do not always have a budget to accommodate the high cost of Yellow Page advertising.

A good way to find the additional funding needed to market in the Yellow Pages is to procure an alternative source of funding such as a dental practice loan or a bank statement loan.

The process to receive an alternative loan is hassle free. The main requirement is the fact that you only need a minimum of 6 months in business.

Banks require that a business be established for at least 2-3 years which will allow them to track your payments record and credit history.

Unless you have an ongoing relationship with a bank that spans over a period of years, it is very difficult to receive a bank loan.

Once the funding from your dental practice loan is received from a an alternative funding source such as Small Business Loans Depot,  you may then begin the process of marketing potential older clients who are in need of your dental services.

You will increase your client base and the number of new elderly clients for your dental practice with a Yellow Page ad. Also the fact may be added that for every directory ad you place you will receive a comparable listing online.  Ed Rogers

[Steffany Mohan, DDS]

Businesses must capitalize this information. The typical Yellow Page ad does not always keep to its criteria and therefore it fails. There are probably lots of competing directories in your town and knowing which one has the most usage is critical.