Online marketing gets a lot of attention, but inbound calls dominate web-generated leads in terms of value. And when we say value, we mean real, tangible revenue.
Inbound calls are 10 times more likely to translate into revenue than sales leads generated online. Those are numbers you canโt ignore, and that brings us neatly to vanity numbers.
When was the last time you wrote down a phone number that you heard in an advertisement? Itโs rare, especially when potential customers are driving, rushing to a meeting, or busy with household chores.
Millions of advertising dollars are thrown away each and every year by businesses who promote phone numbers that no one responds to. Despite this, businesses continue to ask that these ineffective phone numbers be broadcast in commercials, thinking that these channels work as well as print to boost inbound calls. They donโt, so donโt waste any more time and money on a number no one can remember!
Use a phone number in a broadcast commercial only if that number is memorable. Not every business can have something as perfect as 1-800-PRO-PAINTER as there is only one licence allowed per area code, but the easier your number is to remember, the more effective it will be at turning those advertising dollars into valuable inbound sales calls.
Think about how to have every advertising spot make listeners want to call your business. Then make it easy for them to call. If you have a memorable number, craft your ad around it: benefit/phone number, benefit/phone number. Alternatively, challenge the listener to recall the number. Make a joke about it. Make a song about it or make it rhyme.