You’ve launched your marketing campaign. You have ads strategically placed in print, broadcast, and digital media, and the phones are starting to ring. Is your campaign a success so far? How would you know? What are your metrics?
That’s where call tracking comes into the equation. Your goal is to determine what happens mid-campaign based on call-to-action phone numbers. You want to know which vanity phone numbers garner the best results. Which messages are the most compelling?
When companies do effective call tracking of ongoing campaigns, they can change course with a tweak or a complete overhaul—whatever response is necessary based on the call metrics.
But who should do that call tracking activity? When do you go to your internal resources, and when do you outsource to a vendor that specializes in call tracking?
Let’s start with a brief overview of what we mean by call tracking.
What Is Call Tracking, And What Elements Should You Include?
Call tracking consists of a menu of strategies to determine the effectiveness of your marketing campaign based on response phone numbers called. You should plan your call tracking strategies simultaneously with your marketing campaign to be ready to execute both operations simultaneously.
The best campaigns are call-tracked during the drive rather than once the campaign is over. What you complete call-tracking at that time, you can make critical changes before spending ad budgets.
An effective call tracking strategy can consist of some combination of the following:
- Dynamic number insertion (DNI): Adding a different phone number to every ad vehicle to track the effectiveness of that source
- Campaign message testing: Using unique phone numbers per CTA to identify and rank the effectiveness of each approach
- Missed call metrics: Examining the effectiveness of the call center, with a high rate of call hang-ups or voice mails signaling poor responsiveness and missed sales opportunities
In testing these and other call tracking strategies, you should decide whether the data analysis should be conducted internally or outsourced to companies specializing in the technology. Here are some of the leading factors to be considered.
Internal Capabilities
Always start by assessing what your people can do. After all, they’re already in place and won’t require special training on your company’s mission and marketing strategy. By using internal resources, you’ll save both money and time.
You can also avoid poor morale if your employees feel bypassed by outsiders. On the other hand, it can also create conflict if you give your team an assignment beyond their capabilities.
Timeline
How soon do you need your call tracking campaign to begin? Your internal team can almost surely get started sooner than a new vendor. An outside resource must first learn about your company, its mission, its products or services, and the marketing campaign to be tracked. How soon can your chosen partner be expected to get up to speed and begin tracking calls effectively?
On the other hand, if you repeatedly use a particular outside resource, that vendor might come better prepared with every new assignment and, in time, become as familiar with the workings of your company as your internal team.
Objectivity
The sense of familiarity with your company and its processes and procedures can be a two-edged sword. While that knowledge can be a unique advantage for your internal team regarding operational efficiency, it can also mean a lack of objectivity. As a result, your people might not recognize the necessary questions or the changes due to their over-familiarity with existing policies and conditions.
A trusted outside resource might be better able to ask questions that get at the heart of why your company does things a certain way and adapt and change as necessary.
Budgetary Concerns
Hiring outside resources can get expensive, and some leading vendors might require long-term contracts. On the other hand, if a vendor’s expertise can keep you from wasting ad spend, your vendor might pay for itself.
Cost is always an issue. But so are the results of your ongoing expensive marketing campaigns. The proper call tracking strategies can boost campaign performance and prove cost-effective.
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It’s our job to help companies get the most out of their marketing campaigns with relevant and strategic vanity phone numbers. Visit 800.com or call us at (800) 800-4321. Let’s work together on your next winning marketing campaign.
