What are yellow pages good for?

Since I work a lot with the Internet, I often have people asking me whether the Yellow Pages are still useful...

The fact is, there are still many people using the Yellow Pages. Most advanced geek will use an online directory such as superpages.com. Yet, for certain things such as looking for a plumber, people still use the Yellow Pages.

So, how do I choose whether to have an ad in the Yellow Pages?

Simple! Take the latest Yellow Pages book you've received and look under your category and see what your competition does. If you have 1 or more full page advertiser, you bet that you have to be in the Yellow Pages! Now comes the real work: you want your ad to be catchy. Make sure that you include a bait (i.e. Generally, not your company or personal name!) Then continue by enticing your customers to call you by working on their emotions, just like you do in any marketing letter. Then you'll see the return of your Yellow Pages ad.

Okay, on my end, I have a software development company... and in the Yellow Pages there is a long list and no ads. Therefore, I do not advertise in the Yellow Pages. And frankly, I never had someone just call me out of the blue to get software development done. And I know I'm not the only one in this field with the exact same story. Yet, the Yellow Pages are very useful for me. I put them under my monitors to get them higher so I can keep my neck straight.

Thank you.
Alexis