Advertising
and media channels are ever-changing. This makes finding the right advertising
mix a moving target. All the while, many businesses still rely on their sales
teams, gatekeepers and receptionists to track where their leads are coming from
- not the best way to accurately measure advertising response in an
increasingly complex advertising environment.
To
effectively track response rates your advertising needs to include a response
measuring tool. There are several out there, and some are easier to implement
than others.
Here are
five tricks to easily ensure that you will be able to track your ad response,
and hone your marketing efforts to generate more leads and sales.
1. Include
a Timely Offer and Strong Call to Action
Give people
a reason to call you and get them to act fast! Include an offer that will make
prospects and customers call you right away. Put a deadline on a current
promotion, or tell them what they will get right now from your service. For
example: "Call 1-800-NEW-FLOOR to receive $100 off your first order."
2. Use a
Phone Number as the Direct Response Tool
It is
imperative to the success of your business to give people an easy way to
contact you at once after hearing a commercial, viewing a billboard, or
watching TV. The best way to do this is with your phone number. Getting someone
to call means you are one step closer to making a deal. By offering a phone
number, you are offering a one-on-one customer experience - giving prospects a
direct route to your selling team.
3. Feature
a Vanity 800 Number as the Direct Response Tool in all Ads
The phone
number will not be much help if folks cannot remember it (really, who has a pen
handy when hearing a radio ad, or seeing a billboard?). Get a vanity 800
number, and make it memorable, like 1-800-NEXT-HOME. A vanity 800 number that
relates to your business, in this case real estate, will assist in reinforcing
your brand, delivering a consistent message, and will always give consumers the
ability to contact you immediately (and is also great for word-of-mouth referrals).
Plus, someone who hears your radio ad featuring 1-800-NEW-HOME may be looking
for a house three months down the road. They will recall your vanity 800 number
from the radio ad and call you before they call your competition!
4.
Prominent Placement of your Direct Response Tool
Feature
your vanity 800 number prominently on the screen, and leave it there throughout
a television commercial. Mention it at least three times in a radio ad, and
make it the focal point of a print ad. Make sure it is easily heard and
understood - visible and easy to read - and your ads will pull higher response
rates.
5. More
Impressions will Pull More Responses
One-off ads
will not work. Make sure you (or your agency if you use one) have a moderate to
heavy ad schedule, whether it be radio, television, print, outdoor, or a
combination of many of these channels. Buying more time or space will decrease
the cost per ad, and your vanity 800 number will increase your ability to
generate leads and sales. Delivering a consistent message multiple times will
ensure consumers remember you.
Finally, if
you can find a vanity 800 number that correlates with your business type, for
example a real estate agency and 1-800-NEW-HOME, or an auto dealership and
1-800-NEW-AUTO, then snatch it up quickly! These numbers are rare - and hard to
come by. They can cost your business as little as a few hundred dollars a
month, and they can increase your incoming call volume two or three-fold. And,
we all know that more calls equals more opportunities for sales.
Laura
Noonan has 16 years of experience in the vanity 800 number and
telecommunications services industry. She coaches hundreds of clients each year
on using toll-free vanity 800 phone numbers as direct marketing tools to
increase advertising response rates. Laura can be reached at
lnoonan@800response.com or by calling 800-NEW-SALES.
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Noonan
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