Tips for Picking a Great Toll Free Vanity Number

By Matthew
Noreen

Huge
companies like FedEx , UPS and FLOWERS® all starting using vanity 800 numbers
years ago. If vanity numbers didn’t work great do you really believe these
companies would continue to use them? Not a chance.

Here’s a
quick test… what is the 800 number for FTD Florists? Did you know it was
800-SEND-FTD? Good, but not as good as the memorable 1-800-FLOWERS!

Tips:

Avoid
Number Hybrids

1-800-666-EYES
is nowhere near as valuable as 1-800-CONTACTS. People can remember words, not
numbers. A hybrid quickly becomes 1-800-something-EYES to the potential
customer. A hybrid might be easier to acquire, but try to get creative with a
full word.

Don’t limit
yourself to 7 Digits. A lot of good vanity numbers use extra digits (notably
1-800-MATTRESS “and leave the last S off for savings!”)

You’ll need
to get creative. If you have a Dish Network installation business, you might
start with a core word like DISH and add prefixes or suffixes to get a
memorable number (e.g. 1-800-GET-DISH, 1-800-NEW-DISH, 1-800-DISH-NOW).

800 &
888 vs. 877 & 866

Whenever
possible always try to establish yourself with an 800 vanity number. It is by
far what the public is familiar with. (Although these are getting tougher and
tougher to acquire!) When that is impossible, 888 is the second choice.
Although not as good as 800, it is still better then 877 and 866.

Vanity Name
Choice

Select a
number that either spells out your industry (800- GOLFERS, 1-800-HEARING,
1-800-INSURANCE) or describes/reinforces the advertising message you are trying
to convey (Fabulous Cruise Vacations: 1-800-FABULOUS). Avoid spelling out your
company name unless you are sure everyone knows your company name. Stewarts
Lawn Care is much better off with 1-800- LAWN CARE then 1-800-STEWART (which
could be almost anything – e.g. Stewart’s Root Beer which more than 60
locations in NJ, MD, KY, OH, WV, and PA.)

Spelling

The number
should easy to spell. Avoid the use the letters “Q” or “Z”
as they have only recently been added to newer phones keypads.

Marketing/Branding

Don’t be
selective where you use your new vanity number. Make it the front door to your
business for everything you do that the public sees or hears. There is a reason
why every thing 1-800-GOT-JUNK does places the 1-800-GOT-JUNK number on it
(website, trucks, etc.) Same goes for Fed Ex with 1-800-GO FEDEX, they know
what a value it is to them.

By
following these simple tips you are well on your way to excellent advertising
execution with a vanity toll free number!

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