Modern marketing campaigns often focus on Internet-based strategy through social media or pay-per-click advertising. By doing so, they miss out on one of the oldest and most effective commerce schemes in the world: Pay Per Call marketing.
Did you know mobile searches will account for more than 70 billion prospect calls to businesses in 2018 alone? No? Maybe you also don’t know that 70% of people searching on mobile click-to-call a business directly from those search results.
Considering these statistics, it seems insane to not partner with Pay Per Call networks to tap into this huge source of potential revenue. Keep reading to learn more about these campaigns and get some tips on how to choose a reliable network.
Defining Pay Per Call Marketing
Pay Per Call marketing has been around much longer than cell phones or the Internet. It is a performance marketing strategy where a business hires a Pay Per Call network to find quality leads. The network uses a tailored advertising campaign to encourage qualified leads to contact the business through inbound calls and ask further questions about a product/service.
An old-school example of Pay Per Call would be paper advertisements in newspapers or magazines. The advert asks interested consumers to call the number listed to learn more about a product or service.
Infomercials would be another classic example of Pay Per Call where they urge consumers to call a number to buy the product listed on the screen. Marketers assign a single phone number to each infomercial so they can track which customers call which number.
How Do Pay Per Call Companies Work?
Small businesses interested in starting a Pay Per Call strategy first must contact one of the many Pay Per Call networks in the US. They place an order for a specific number of inbound calls from potential customers interested in their products or services.
The Pay Per Call company behaves as an advertising agency and starts a marketing campaign. They create the initial content and then hire an affiliate or publisher to share it. This Pay Per Call affiliate places ads on the correct websites or other online channels that prompt a prospect to fill out a form.
The Pay Per Call company then calls the interested party to gauge their interest in the small business’s services/products. The affiliate does not do this part. During the call, they ask questions to see if the prospect meets the small business’s qualifications for being a high-quality lead.
If yes, the company directs the prospect to the small business’s sales department who take over the process of selling the products or services. The affiliate marketing company receives a commission when the small business closes the sale.
Who Stands to Benefit from Partnering with Pay Per Call Networks?
Most business relationships must be mutually beneficial for them to work well. Pay Per Call networks are no exception. Learn how each player benefits from participating in Pay Per Call advertising below.
Small Businesses
Small business owners who cannot afford massive advertising campaigns benefit the most. Studies show that 78% of local mobile searches lead to an offline purchase. Not only do you get access to this massive pool of potential customers, you also get a better grip on the effectiveness of these campaigns.
Identifying how well your online advertising campaigns work requires an understanding of digital marketing beyond that of the average business owner. With a Pay Per Call campaign, much like an infomercial, you can assign a specific number to each of the various advertising channels.
The tracked phone number reveals what ads generated inbound calls and which Pay Per Call affiliate made the call happen. This helps you get a clear picture of your return on investment (ROI).
Affiliates/Publishers
The benefits to the affiliate or publisher go beyond the commission made by running the advertising campaign. Affiliates can develop a new stream of revenue without needing to alter their current business model.
The affiliate uses their existing promotional methods and channels to monetize the phone and online traffic. They even can use the same analytics and tracking capabilities for both. Once they become established, they gain access to higher-value offers with even higher commissions.
5 Awesome Questions to Ask Before Deciding Between Pay Per Call Networks
Now you should better understand the purpose and mechanics of Pay Per Call marketing. Here are some great questions to ask before choosing between the hundreds of Pay Per Call Networks in the United States.
1. How many offers do they have?
Do not be afraid to ask your contact at the Pay Per Call network about the number of offers they can provide you. The more avenues they offer, the better chance you have of finding one that will generate high-quality inbound calls.
2. What is the quality of those offers and how much ROI do they expect?
Just because the network lists off dozens of potential offers to choose from does not mean they will all be of quality. Ask for specific examples of the offers and the expected ROI for each.
3. How do they treat their advertisers and affiliates?
You want to ensure that the Pay Per Call network you choose has a great relationship with the advertisers and affiliates they hire. Do they offer a lot of support to guarantee these partners understand exactly whom you want to make inbound calls? If not, the campaign will be a waste.
4. What are their conversion rates?
Does the network provide case studies or customer reviews with examples of conversion rates? If you have an idea in your mind about how many conversions you want per inbound call, you better double check that the network can deliver.
5. Do they offer services in your preferred geographic location?
This seems somewhat obvious but can get overlooked. Sure, that Pay Per Call network might offer the best rates. But if they do not have affiliates that advertise in your preferred geographic location or to your ideal demographic, what is the point?
Are You Ready to Partner with a Pay Per Call Network?
By keeping these tips in mind, you should be able to determine which of the many Pay Per Call networks will work best for your advertising campaign.
Take a quick look at our very happy customers and know we will be there for you every step of the way.
Contact us today to get started on your Pay Per Call campaign to generate more sales from inbound calls as soon as possible!