Are 800 numbers too old school? Not at all. Although vanity numbers have been around longer than the modern internet, they’re still a powerful marketing tool in the digital age. The key is to use 800 numbers in conjunction with your internet marketing to enable better and more frequent customer interactions. Keep reading to learn how you can use both the internet and cheap 800 numbers side by side, ensuring they work as teammates instead of rivals.
The Power of Online Analytical Tools and Vanity Numbers
By combining vanity numbers and analytical tools, you can use the connectivity of the internet in conjunction with the appeal of custom 800 numbers. For example, you can:
- Put your call data to work using call analytics. This can show you the closing rates for individual 800 numbers and help you determine which campaigns are gaining the most traction.
- Use dynamic number insertion, which involves assigning a different number to each ad you run.
- Analyze caller behavior to gauge the success of a campaign. When you get a toll-free number, you can track how many people hang up or leave voicemails. You can then use that data to figure out which campaigns are inspiring the strongest customer connections.
By combining 21st-century data analysis with an 800 number, you can use the information you glean to tweak a current campaign or inform how you design the next one.
Using Your Vanity Number in an Online Campaign
Social Media
One of the primary benefits of finding and using a vanity number in connection with a social media marketing campaign is that you can provide prospects with an easy way to get in touch without having to expose your personal or business number to unwanted calls or spam. Because a vanity number can be easily shut off, if anyone abuses your 800 number, you can simply discontinue it or get a new one.
Also, providing a number in connection with a social media campaign gives you the added advantage of getting customers off social media and into a more personalized interaction with you or your sales reps. Social media communication, while convenient, maybe a little too informal for some businesses or their customers. A one-on-one conversation, on the other hand, gives both parties a more intimate, private, secure experience that may better suit your customer experience goals.
Online Ads
A vanity number within an online ad streamlines the connection process. An online ad, in many cases, is at least a few action steps away from a true connection. This is because someone who sees it needs to click the link, then click through to your site, and if your contact page isn’t the one they go to, they may have to click again to enter their contact info. Even if your paid advertising sends the prospect to gated content, they still have to click again to download it, then enter their info.
Email Marketing
Similarly, including a vanity number in your email marketing strategy puts people in touch with your business sooner. Some prospects may want to get answers, place orders, or find more information right away. With a vanity number placed within an email, they can quickly call and take action.
For some users, the idea of waiting for an email response for a day, or even just a couple of hours, is enough to make them check out other options. In that case, while your email marketing campaign helps generate interest, it could be your competition that closes the sale.
Others may have had bad experiences with email marketing campaigns in the past and would prefer to have a conversation rather than clicking anything or going to a website. For example, online criminals frequently use phishing emails to try to lure victims into providing sensitive data. While phishing is sometimes obvious due to an overt request for data in the actual email, sometimes it’s less apparent. Some hackers simply put a link in the email, and when you click it, malware gets downloaded to your computer.
Providing a custom 800 number can be reassuring for prospects who have dealt with viruses, other malware, hacks, or identity theft in the past — as well as those who are worried about it now.
With 800.com, you have access to both unlimited vanity numbers and the tools you need to gather and analyze the data they produce. This allows you to have the internet and your custom 800 numbers work as partners. Start looking for your vanity number now.
