Directory listings vs social media: where buyers look now

Key takeaways

Directory listings vs social media is not an either-or choice. A directory catches people who are already looking for a supplier. Social media reaches people before they look. Free listings are worth claiming, and paid ones should be judged like any other advert.

• Directories: buyers arrive ready to choose a supplier.
• Social media: buyers meet you before they need you.
• Directories: claim the free listings, test the paid ones.
• Social media: proof, personality and a reason to pick you.

What counts as a directory today?

A directory is any list of businesses that buyers search by trade and place. The printed kind has largely gone: Yell published the final printed Yellow Pages in January 2019. Today's directories are online listings, review sites, trade association registers and lead platforms that pass customer requests to members.

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What types of directory are there?

There are four broad types, and they behave differently.

• Free general listings, led by Google Business Profile.
• Paid enhanced listings on general directories.
• Vetted trade and review platforms with a membership fee.
• Pay-per-lead platforms that sell each enquiry.

• Google Business Profile vs social media: what comes first?

How do the costs compare?

Basic listings are usually free. Paid memberships and lead fees vary by trade and area, so ask for the full yearly cost and the contract length in writing. Social media has no listing fee, but it takes time or an agency: most UK SMEs pay £950–£2,500 a month for managed social media.

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What kind of enquiry does each bring?

Directories bring enquiries from people who are comparing several suppliers at once, so price pressure is high and speed of reply matters. Social media tends to bring fewer enquiries from people who have already seen your work and chosen to ask you.

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Why do reviews matter to both?

Reviews are the link between the two. Buyers who find you on social media often check your reviews before calling, and buyers who find you in a directory look for signs that you are real and active. Reviews must be genuine: fake reviews and hidden incentives are banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

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When is a paid directory worth it?

A paid directory is worth it when buyers in your trade habitually use it and you can show a fair cost per job won.

• Your trade's customers search there first.
• The platform vets members, which reassures buyers.
• You can reply within the hour.
• Your tracked cost per job is acceptable.

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When is social media the better investment?

Social media is the better investment when you want buyers to choose you for your work and not for the lowest quote, when your service needs explaining, and when you want something that keeps its value. A listing stops when you stop paying. A year of good posts and reviews stays.

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How should a small firm combine them?

Claim and complete every free listing, starting with Google Business Profile. Keep the name, address and phone number identical everywhere. Link listings to your social profile, and use social media to show the proof a listing cannot hold.

• 1. Claim free listings and check the details match.
• 2. Ask every customer for a review.
• 3. Test one paid directory with tracking.
• 4. Post finished work on social media weekly.

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What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with trades firms: three or four directory memberships renew by direct debit, and nobody has compared the jobs won from each. Asking every enquirer where they found the firm for one quarter usually shows that one membership pays for itself and the others do not.

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Next step

List every directory you appear in, what each costs a year and when it renews. Add a tracking question to your enquiry form today.