Scott's Musings

I WAS AN IDIOT… MY YELLOWPAGES DIGITAL MARKETING STORY W/VIVIAL

my story

(Thinking back, I would get so frustrated I could have smashed my fist into a hive of Africanized bees).

This isn’t just my story, though.

It’s the story of countless small business owners who, like me, got burned by the big, impersonal marketing machines – the ones that sprouted from the fertile, albeit slightly yellowed, soil of the old Yellow Pages empire.

Remember those giant Yellow Pages books? They were a staple, weren’t they?

You’d plunk down a hefty sum for a listing, hoping your phone would ring off the hook.

And sometimes, it did. But times have changed.

The internet happened. And those once mighty Yellow Pages companies, bless their hearts, tried to adapt.

They morphed, they rebranded, they spawned digital marketing subsidiaries with names that sound like they belong in a sci-fi movie: Vivial, Thryv, Hibu…

I’m not saying these companies are inherently evil. But I am saying that their DNA is rooted in the past.

They’re like that well-meaning uncle who still thinks dial-up is the bee’s knees. They try, they really do, but they just don’t get it.

And I know this firsthand. Because I was one of their customers.

Back in the day, circa 2008, I started a commercial cleaning company while in college for marketing.

A good, honest, hard-working cleaning company. And like every small business owner, I needed to get the word out.

So, I did what seemed logical at the time. I signed up with one of those big digital marketing companies.

Let’s just say it rhymes with “live-ial.”

What followed was a masterclass in frustration.

I was shuffled from one account representative to another, each one seemingly less knowledgeable than the last.

My calls went unanswered. My emails disappeared into the black hole of customer service.

And my marketing… well, it was about as effective as using that Yellow Pages book as a fly swatter. (It’s a good doorstop, though.)

FROM MY PAIN – AN IDEA WAS HATCHED

Old school agency of record

THE SOLUTION

That experience, as painful as it was, sparked an idea. What if, I thought, there was a digital marketing agency that actually cared about small businesses?

An agency that treated its clients like partners, not just numbers?

An agency that understood the unique challenges and opportunities of the small business world?

MADER MARKETING WAS THE RESULT

That’s why I created Mader Marketing. I built it on the principle of personal attention, the kind of one-on-one service that big corporations enjoy but small businesses rarely get.

I wanted to bring the “agency of record” concept from Madison Avenue to Main Street.

YOU NEED A DEDICATED MARKETING PARTNER

At Mader Marketing, we offer that same level of dedicated partnership to small businesses.

We become your agency of record.

We get to know your business inside and out. We understand your goals, your challenges, and your target audience.

And we craft a marketing strategy that’s as unique as you are.

FROM MY PAIN – AN IDEA WAS HATCHED

Vivial, Thryv, Hibu? The yellow page company subsidiaries.

They sell you services.

They might even throw in a few buzzwords like “SEO” and “social media optimization” to make it sound impressive.

But they don’t truly partner with you, in my opinion.

They don’t invest in your long-term success. They are not bad companies- they are in the “volume” business.

In my opinion- a small business owner needs personal, direct attention.

They need someone to interview them for hours about things like ideal keywords, their unique selling proposition and other critical marketing fundamentals.

YOUR NEXT STEP?

STOP THE ROUTINE

Trying to get personalized service from one of those large companies is like trying to have a heart-to-heart talk with a vending machine.

You might get a snack, but you’re not going to get any real connection.

IT’S NOT ABOUT BUYING BRIGHT SHINY OBJECTS

At Mader Marketing, we believe that marketing is about more than just clicks and impressions.

It’s about building relationships.

It’s about connecting with your customers on a human level.

It’s about telling your story in a way that resonates. And we invest time in learning that information from our clients.

FED UP WITH STERILE, IMPERSONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE THATS SO COMMON TODAY?

Are you tired of being told that if you just increase your monthly marketing budget, and have more patience…. yada- yada.

Let me tell you, if it ain’t working now, stop spending.

Spending more money on marketing that’s not working is like telling a drowning man to drink more water.

YOUR PERSONAL INVITATION

Obviously I know who your digital marketing company is, and I’ve probably seen your website.

If I couldn’t make a dramatic difference for you- I wouldn’t be marketing to you. (I’m too good at marketing to waste time on poor targets. :] )

Click here to fill out a free analysis and I’ll quickly set up a phone call between us.

MY “NO TIME WASTED” PROMISE TO YOU-

If you answer the short questions in my free analysis and we have a call, I promise you that you will gain the following:

• NO pressure or sales pitch of any kind.
• Honest transparent answers to your questions.
• More advice and insight to your digital marketing in 45 minutes than you have received the entire time you have been with your current company.

IF YOU DON’T AGREE- I WILL BUY YOU LUNCH (VIA A GIFT CARD SENT DIRECTLY TO YOU).

Sincerely,

Scott D Mader