With the cost of yellow page advertising rising every year, small business owners need every advantage when it comes to getting the most out of their advertising budget. Make your yellow page advertising work harder for you with these five tips.

1. Focus on the benefits. You might have the largest car lot in town, but that won't matter to your customer unless you can translate it into a benefit for her. When writing your ad, be sure to look at it from your customer's point of view while asking yourself, "What's in it for me?" A large collection of cars means your customer is sure to find the perfect car for her needs at a price that matches her budget.

Even better - take that one step further and tell her the benefit of the benefit. That great price that fits perfectly well within her budget? Now she can afford to buy her son that baseball glove he's been wanting. All because you own the largest car lot in town.

2. Focus on your customer. Instead of saying how great your business is or how well trained your staff is or how many dentists make up your practice, make the ad about your customer and her needs. Address her concerns, her anxieties, her questions. Talk to her about her life, not your business.

Too many yellow page ads are all about the business. By using the word "you" more, you'll make your customer feel like she's important, and she'll be more likely to buy from the business that is interested in her.

3. Sell to women. Women make or influence 85% of all purchases. You can't afford to forget that. Even if your business is selling men's clothing, women are involved in the decision making, and should be considered when designing your ad.

4. Make a great offer. Yellow page advertising doesn't have to begin and end with a phone number and a website. Give your reader a reason to call or stop in, like a free consultation or a discount on their first purchase. Just make sure it's something you can continue to offer. A print yellow page ad lasts far longer than the single year printed on the cover. Many people continue to refer to old phone books for several years, and you don't want to alienate a potential customer just because you ran out of personalized golf towels.

5. Offer a guarantee. Be careful with this one. You want to build a relationship with readers and earn their trust, not make them cross-eyed with exclamation points and unbelievable hype. If you guarantee to beat any advertised competitor's price, then say so. Just don't say it in 48 point red caps.