So, you’ve just received the latest edition of the Yellow Pages and thought, “who even uses them these days?!” as you tossed them unceremoniously into the recycling. Our thoughts exactly.
Here’s how to opt-out of your Yellow Pages delivery in four simple steps.
Cancel your Yellow Pages in One Minute
Step One: Visit this link
Step Two: Select ‘Cancel Book Delivery’ on the Form
Step Three: Fill Out The Form (Accurate Delivery Address).
Step Four: Click The Directory Opt-Out Confirmation
Step Five: Fill Out The Captcha.
4 reasons to opt out of the Yellow Pages
With the entire internet’s worth of information in our back pockets, we’re hardly likely to reach for a book to solve our burning problems. Gone are the days of dusting off the enormous directory to find a list of emergency plumbers while your kitchen rapidly floods from a burst pipe. But there are more reasons to opt out of the Yellow Pages than it going out of fashion with the Macarena – here are three reasons cancelling your Yellow Pages is a good idea.
Reason #1 – Choice
Yellow Pages claims that 1 in 5 Aussies use the Yellow Pages Book every year (5.5 million Australians). However, in 2011, Sensis conducted an opt-in test in Melbourne and Sydney. In 2010, these markets received 1.5 million copies, but under the 2011 opt-in system, deliveries declined by 98% to 46,000 copies.
With only 2% of its original user base wanting to receive the Yellow Pages, fewer and fewer businesses choose to advertise in the Yellow Pages, leaving you with way less choice.
Reason #2 – Credibility
One crucial piece of information is missing from the Yellow Pages– customer reviews.
Through a basic Google search of “plumber”, you can access an abundance of Google My Business results for plumbers in your local area, including written reviews, ratings and recommendations – all in a matter of seconds.
Reason #3 – Environmental Impact
If you fall into the majority of Australians who don’t plan on using their copy of the Yellow Pages, consider opting out to reduce waste. Thryv Australia (formerly Sensis) reports that 98%, or 19,000 tonnes, of copies are recycled. Recycling is not free from consequences as the process can involve harmful chemicals, water and energy wastage. Therefore, opting out stops this unnecessary recycling process in its tracks. The environment, and your plumbing, will love you for it!
Reason #4 – Visibility
When looking up plumbers in the Yellow Pages, you’re left with an inconveniently small snippet on “WhY We ArE tHe RiGhT pLuMbEr FoR YoU!”. You need more than a 10cm square ad to make an informed choice. Rather than paper cuts, visibility is at your fingertips through Google search results.
Final thoughts
The Yellow Pages were once the holy grail of advertising in Australia, but with the rise of Google, the big old book has been obsolete for years. And, with highly effective and measurable advertising channels like Google Ads and Facebook Ads so readily available, Australian businesses have long since put their advertising dollars to better use elsewhere.
