The best time for a phone book to be distributed is summer. Here are the reasons why. Lets say that in your area there are more than one book, very likely by the way. I know proof positive that when a major phone directory is distributed other directories see a drop in usage. Being that summer usually gives us better weather, more major projects will be started during that time. Construction, landscape, carpet cleaning, roofing and concrete are just some of the businesses that may benefit from a summer time directory. Keep in mind that I am not saying advertising in this media will be profitable. There are many other factors you have to consider. I will cover those at a later date.
A winter directory is probably a better choice for a tree service business. It really depends on what area of the country you live. All my experience is in the North West, Oregon and Washington. We have a lot of trees and strong winter storms. Of course many businesses stay pretty consistent year round but overall businesses as a whole pick up during the summer. I have worked two markets where we have a winter directory in one area and a summer directory in another. I could adamantly tell my clients that our competitor’s directory had stronger usage than our winter directory.
Just because one directory has stronger usage than another does not mean that advertising in that book will give you a better return on your investment. You have to look at cost, ad positioning and the number of competitors in your heading.