The only advertising that ever really paid off for me is my yellow page ad. I've always had a simple, effective ad in the phone book.
Over the past 3 years I've had a statement that is highlighted and stands out prominently in my Nevada Bell yellow page ad... "WE WILL NOT HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND WE ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH"
I would say that most painters I come across these days here in Reno don't speak english and it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that the majority of painters here are actually illegal immigrants. Our failing government and all the greedy exploiters who want these modern day slaves here deserve a pat on the back!
In the 3 years that I've had this ad, I've received 2 negative phone calls about it and about 400 positive phone calls about it. Not only have I made a statement I feel strong about in my ad, but it struck a cord with many people who wound up hiring me as well.
About 90% of the work I get today is from customer referrals, but the other 10% still comes from my yellow page ad