Tag: Pay per Call

  • The Benefits of a Multi-Pronged Marketing Plan

    Fact: Every business needs customers. That goes undisputed. Generating qualified leads should be in the fore mind of every person working in the digital marketing sphere. This circle continues to expand as traditional marketing disciplines finally shuck their aversion to going all-in with digital services.

    “By 2019, 35% of ad spending will be online. Digital marketing is getting to be a bigger piece of the pie — and that means that traditional marketing and advertising agencies are moving into the digital space in a big way.”

    – Moz webinar (4/7/15)

    Photo via Unsplash.com by Todd Quackenbush
    Photo via Unsplash.com by Todd Quackenbush

    Changing of the Guard

    This is so true. Many old-school PR and advertising agencies have struggled to embrace the online marketplace. I remember in the mid-1990’s when most companies thought “this whole having-a-website thing” was a passing fad. Furthermore, popular sentiment back then was businesses that included a URL in their marketing materials or ads were thought to be pandering to a silly trend.

    My, how things have changed! Marketing and advertising are the latest industries to fall prey to the “how-the-heck-do-we-go-digital” trap, but these industries are certainly not alone in their battle to stay relevant.

    Print media (book, magazines, and other periodicals) and entertainment (traditional television, the entire distribution system of both music and film) have struggled with this evolution for the last 20 years, with no end in sight.

    These industries, and many others, have to continually reinvent themselves. The threat of becoming obsolete has proved to be a real one. Trying to compete with the constant barrage of new ideas and platforms is tough. Staunchly holding on to outdated, conventional methods and hoping the “trend” will pass isn’t a recommended strategy.

    So, what are the recommended strategies then? With all the online chatter, what’s the best way to stand out from the crowd? What does a thorough marketing plan really need?

    The Multi-Pronged Approach

    Luckily, the best marketing strategy is a comprehensive one: a plan that includes both modern marketing methods and long-established promotional techniques. There are plenty of ways to spread the word online: SEO, pay-per-call/click,  mobile promotions, link building, social media advertising, PR campaigns, pre-video snippets, native or sponsored content, banner ads… The list goes on.

    The goal is to get your brand or message in front of the right set of eyes. The goal is to target consumers who are already actively interested in your product or service. But this must be done in a natural way.

    We live in a consumer culture. Some people get squeamish when human beings are referred to as “consumers”. But hey – I buy things. I’m a customer, a purchaser, a user of services. I consume, therefore, I’m a consumer. I’m fine with that. It’s far preferable to legislators referring their constituents as “taxpayers”. But I digress.

    Furthermore, I don’t mind being “targeted” when I’m actually on the hunt for something – whether that be granite countertops, red cowboy boots, or a refinance on my mortgage. The objective of any marketing company is bringing together those who provide, and those in need – regardless of specific industry.

    Make your marketing/advertising campaigns count. If you put the needs and desires of people in the forefront of your mind, qualified leads and conversions will follow.

  • Avoiding Pay Per Call Fraud

    If you weren’t able to catch the action of LeadsCon don’t worry. We are here to fill you in on affiliate call fraud. Eric Evans, of HyperTarget Marketing moderated a panel at LeadsCon on this very topic. Here are some of the basics of what you need to keep in mind when trying to avoid these types of fraudulent behavior, not only in a call-based business, but in any marketing relationship.

    Fraudulent Call Specifics

    If you are running any type of call-based business it is imperative to make sure you are screening any potential incoming clients to confirm you won’t be scammed. There are several ways to do this. First, you can employ an automated answering system that automatically forwards frequent callers to a separate line. Secondly, a clear IVR (Interactive Voice Response) will not only weed out fraud callers, but also help your real clients get exactly where they need to go quickly and efficiently, which definitely helps with a first call resolution. Lastly, if you are unable to set up either of the previously mentioned items, then ask questions, and lots of them. While this isn’t always the most time effective method it will no doubt tell you who is real.

    Test Partnership Waters

    Make sure that who you are doing business with is legit. Relationships go quite a long way in any kind of business partnership. Start small when creating a new business endeavor. Have your inductee create some smaller content or outreach first to make sure they are a good fit with your marketing strategy. This not only eliminates the chances of them not having the same vision as you, but also makes sure they are who they say they are. This can also help if you want to check the kinds of viewers, followers, and customers they are bringing you are real.

    Be Clear About Your Needs

    If too much is left up to interpretation you could be setting the campaign up for failure. Set clear goals within a respectable and reasonable timeline with anyone worth working with. This way everyone involved knows exactly what is expected and there is no chance of trailing off or not getting the types of clients the business needs. This means that meticulous organization and documentation are key for success.

    Always Follow Up

    Even if you have clear guidelines set, they mean nothing unless there is follow through, especially if you are deciding to take on a new client or business partner. Set up multiple call backs and meetings to discuss your short and long term strategy plan. This is a good way to build rapport with a new client. Additionally, you never have to feel in the dark about exactly what is happening. Follow up doesn’t mean you have to micromanage all the ins and outs, but it does hold all parties exclusively accountable to the services exactly as they were discussed.

    Avoiding pay per call fraud is vital for anyone running a call marketing campaign. Make sure to keep these points in mind and be sure to visit panels and presentations when you are trade shows. You never know what you might learn.

  • The Advantages of Stealth Marketing in the Pay per Call Movement

    The Advantages of Stealth Marketing in the Pay per Call Movement

    Stealth marketing is the latest soon-to-be-overused buzz term that is picking up momentum in the world of performance marketers. It has earned something of an unsavory reputation as a type of underhanded and manipulative form of marketing because of a few unscrupulous individuals who have used the tactics in those kinds of ways. Even the term itself – stealth marketing – carries with it an inherent tone of sneakiness that comes off as something that is designed to line the pockets of advertisers at the expense of their customers. However, stealth marketing – sometimes referred to as undercover marketing (which admittedly sounds just as ominous) – is simply a form of advertising that allows performance marketers the opportunity to market their business without damaging their reputations. Pay per Call promotions are among the most effective means for advertisers to harness the power of stealth marketing, and there are a variety of ways in which they do so.

    One of the quickest and most efficient ways to generate sales leads through stealth marketing is through blogging. Writing short articles related to performance marketing and recommending the specific business in question with the phone number is an extremely effectively way to push a Pay per Call campaign. The articles don’t need to be extensive but they do need to be relevant, and more importantly, informative and helpful. Advertisers create a niche related to the campaign or offer and write the relevant articles around the topic. They then generate a list of businesses that perform best in that niche, establish a solid SEO position, and incorporate tracking numbers.

    Another online avenue for lead generation for performance marketers is creating YouTube videos. This is among the most popular methods because it is relatively easy to do and can generate the quick and lasting leads that every business longs for. There are several other video forums such as Vimeo and Vine that marketers use to showcase their business and phone numbers, but YouTube is far and away the most popular and the most effective. Think of the most effective videos as visual blogs. That is to say, find a niche related to the offer in your Pay per Call promotion, offer some kind of relevant and useful information about that niche, and display your number on the screen throughout.

    Something that requires a little bit more effort and time in order to see results is the “giveaway” tactic. Pay per Call Campaigns and the performance marketers who use them can benefit tremendously from this type of stealth marketing. It involves having your numbers on all possible manner of physical promotional items like t-shirts, coffee mugs, pens, and key chains. These items are then handed out to anyone and everyone in the local community and the word – as well as your numbers – spread, both offline and online. This tactics does not generate the fast leads that online tactics do but for generating leads over a longer period of time, it is one of the best ways to implement stealth marketing. This is far from an exhaustive list of tactics that performance marketers can use but it will definitely get your mind working in the right direction. Advertising is about creativity, not just creativity in your content but also in the way you present that content. There are countless ways to promote your business and many of them haven’t even been thought of yet. A few of the others, well, you just read about them. Now use them and get those leads!