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Here is a snippet about vanity numbers from an article on eHow.com, by a contributing writer. 

"Vanity numbers spell out words or suggest words. 1-800-FLOWERS is one of the most widely known vanity numbers and is easily remembered on Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. Vanity numbers are a marketing tool that can encourage brand switching. Even if consumers have a favorite restaurant with a local number, they're more likely to call the number they remember first. Vanity numbers are in short supply, and a broker may be required to negotiate a deal with the person who owns a specific number." Read the full article.

We realize it's not a new concept - tracking ad response rates, but we wanted to reiterate the power and level of knowledge that ad tracking, and specifically phone call tracking, brings to you and your business.

Imagine spending thousands on your ad campaigns with no way of measuring the results.  (Yes, a closed sale is a measurement, but you also need to measure in terms of leads generated.)  Knowing how many leads a campaign generates empowers you to make decisions on future ad campaigns and media buys.

Real-time tracking and recording features provide you with the knowledge you need to make strategic decisions when it comes to advertising campaigns; whether it be decisions on creative elements, your offer, the call to action, and the media outlets you advertise with.

With a call tracking service you can hone in on the fine details of who is calling your business, what their average household income is, their average home value, as well as when they are most likely to call your business.  How?  With detailed tracking reports that capture data on each incoming call.  Call tracking reports like:

• Addresses & Demographics will build your lead database.
• Zip Code Summary shows you the hot spots, where your callers are calling from; home, work.
• Repeat Callers Detail reveals who is calling you often, or more than once for information or to hire you.
• Missed Calls is a huge eye-opener for many businesses, they can monitor how many leads they are losing with a report like this.
• Hourly and Daily Call Summary reports show when your business lines are most active so you can determine the necessary staffing levels and monitor response to radio campaigns, TV ads, etc.
• Top Cities and Top Area Codes reports also drill down on where your callers are located.

 

With all of this data at your fingertips, you'll be able to more accurately plan out marketing and advertising campaigns, and get more return for your advertising investment.

 

Find more information about call tracking, call recording, and vanity toll-free numbers here.

A great article on vanity numbers (or phone words as they're known as in Australia)...

by Gavin Scholes, CEO of Australia's largest provider of phone words and smart numbers, 1300 Australia.

 

For those who don't know the lingo, a phone word (or vanity number) is the alpha numeric equivalent to a phone number. For instance, 1300 CREDIT = 1300 273348.

 

For more than 30 years, phonewords have been a phenomena in the United States. Three years ago they entered the Australian market and have shot to popularity in advertising because of their memorability and demonstrated results when it comes to customer recall.

 

If you have a phoneword - or are contemplating getting one to boost your marketing efforts - here are 5 handy tips regarding how to use it effectively to maximise its impact - and your advertising spend.

 

   1. Use your Phone word throughout all your marketing activities - on promotions, throughout advertising, even on your business stationery and building signage.

   2. Phone words are particularly strong in radio. If your business suits radio advertising, use it and ensure your Phone word features prominently in the broadcast.

   3. Create fun little direct mail pieces for customers and prospects that connect back to your Phone word. For instance, send your prospects a packet of "lifesavers" with your name and Phone word as a solution to their problem.

   4. Ever get a jingle stuck in your head? Create your own fun jingle featuring your Phone word and include it as "on hold" music when customers and prospects ring.

   5. If you advertise in the Yellow Pages, make sure you feature your Phone word largely in your listing. Once a customer remembers your name, they don't need to look you up any more, and that's bad news for your competitors.

 

There are so many ways you can use your phone word and each time you use it, it grows stronger and stronger. A phone word is a valuable marketing asset and you should actively use it in your promotional activities to make the most of it.

 

Gavin Scholes is CEO of Australia's largest provider of phone words and smart numbers, 1300 Australia. Talk to 1300 Australia for access to expert advice and the broadest range of high quality phonewords in Australia.

Toll-free call tracking numbers are powerful 10-digit numbers that allow businesses to monitor and track every lead down to the source.  This is a must for any marketing/advertising manager, director, or executive who is responsible for reporting on their strategy's performance at the end of the day.

Numeric call tracking numbers are perfect for advertising and marketing campaigns that include visual media types, but only if they have a "shelf-life."  This includes newspaper advertising, Yellow Pages ads, online ads, and some direct mail.  Advertisers can effectively track pay-per-click and SEO ad campaigns, test one direct mail postcard against another, and tracking online conversions from their websites, all with these numeric toll-free numbers.

What these numeric tools cannot do is brand.  Only a vanity 800 number can brand your business, like 1-800-NEW-ROOF for a roofer, or 1-800-NEW-RATE for a bank or lending institution.

So, advertising businesses that execute multi-media campaigns need both of these tools.  Don't balk, because it is possible to get them at an affordable price.  Some vanity service providers offer free call tracking numbers with their service so that businesses can maintain a complete lead-tracking system and monitor every advertisement in their campaigns.

For an effective advertising and marketing strategy, incorporate both of these toll-free options - vanity 800 numbers and call tracking numbers - and you'll capture every incoming lead and be able to source it back to the specific advertisement/media buy that generated that lead.  These direct-response tools allow for complete lead-tracking, accurate measurement of ROI, and budget accountability.

Great customer service is often the key to improving and growing a business. Real-time Call Recording will let you listen to recordings of the incoming calls. With a quality-assurance, call recording tool, you can archive calls for playback using an online interface.

 

You should activate and use call recordings to:

 

1. Enhance Sales Training -- Call recordings can be used as training tools to illustrate common sales scenarios and to demonstrate how to overcome customer objections. Information gleaned from recordings can be used to refine sales pitches and identify techniques that increase close rates.

2. Improve Customer Service -- Knowing that calls are being monitored motivates staff to provide a consistently high level of service to your customers. Recordings can also reveal areas in which your sales and customer service staffs require more information about particular products or services to handle customer inquiries better.

3. Increase Efficiency -- Listen to the recordings to assess how long and how often customers are being placed on hold. Get an idea of how many times customers are transferred before being connected to the appropriate person within your organization.

4. Confirm Information -- After a call is complete, you can go back through the recording to verify that you wrote down the customer's correct address or credit card number. This allows you to confirm that the information you took down matches what the customer provided during the call. It saves your next call for constructive follow-up.

 

And, real-time call recording lets you listen to your calls within seconds after the caller hangs up.  Read up on more benefits of having real-time call data, call recording, and advanced routing products that will make sure you're communications system is running efficiently!

Get More out of Your Ad Budgets...7 Ideas for Stronger Ads:

 

1. Commit to an advertising campaign that integrates several media formats, but maintains the same call-to-action throughout all pieces of the campaign.

 

2. Clearly state the call-to-action - what it is that you want people to do. For instance, "Call 1-800-NEW-SKILLS to learn more about our accelerated culinary programs."

 

3. Use a direct-response tool in all pieces of the campaign that is easy for buyers to remember and easy to track, like a toll-free vanity 800 number.

 

4. Analyze the response rates to your overall advertising efforts by monitoring your campaigns with a call-tracking platform.

 

5. Track the Cost-Per-Lead of your campaigns based on the cost of the overall campaign versus the number of leads the campaign generates. This is easy with a call-tracking system. Most vanity 800 number and call-tracking providers offer a campaign summary tool.

 

6. Build a strong lead database, learn more about your prospects, and market directly to these contacts. A toll-free service with a call tracking system will capture each incoming caller's name, address, and demographic profile, including average home value and household income based on the caller's location.

 

7. Stay top-of-mind. Develop campaigns that keep your name in the market place, and in front of people on a regular basis. If you have to cut back somewhere, buy smaller newspaper ads, mail post cards instead of letters, run shorter radio and television spots during non-peak hours. Smaller ads and shorter spots allow you to stretch budgets and maintain a presence in the media for a longer period of time.

And, repetition is the key to retention!

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

New Survey from 800response Reveals Consumer Recall Rates of Advertisements

800response (www.800response.com), the leading provider of vanity 800 numbers and web-based call tracking and recording services, announces the results of two recent surveys conducted in conjunction with an online survey firm and research experts. The surveys focus on consumers and measures their recall rates of vanity 800 numbers compared to consumer recall rates of numeric toll-free numbers when featured in advertisements.

 

The study findings reveal that vanity 800 numbers improve consumer recall rates in visual ads by up to 84%, and yield a nine times higher recall in broadcast ads versus numeric toll-free numbers.

 

"The results of the two surveys confirm the overwhelming value of using unforgettable phone numbers as consumer response tools particularly in television, radio, outdoor, and print advertising where they are significantly easier for consumers to recall after even just one exposure in advertisements," says Laura Noonan, vice president of marketing at 800response.

 

84% Improvement in Recall Rates with Vanity 800 Numbers in Visual Advertisements

 

Data shows that when vanity 800 numbers are used in visual media (i.e. television, print, billboard) advertisers can expect to see an 84% improvement in recall rates over numeric phone numbers. Sixty-five percent (65%) of consumers were able to correctly recall a vanity 800 number that was featured in a visual image - simulating a billboard or print advertisement. In comparison, only 31% of consumers could correctly recall the numeric toll-free number in a visual image.

 

Consumers Are 9 Times More Likely to Recall Vanity 800 Numbers in Broadcast Advertisements

 

A second survey measuring phone number recall shows that an audio file featuring a vanity 800 number yields a nine times higher recall rate compared to an audio file featuring a numeric phone number. Of the survey respondents, 72% correctly recalled the vanity 800 number, with just 5% correctly recalling the numeric toll-free phone number in otherwise identical audio clips.

 

"As ad spending continues to grow, the use of toll-free numbers will also rise because advertisers will continue to look for increasing response rates to their advertising, and will need to track their media spending and ad campaigns. Through this study, and past research, vanity 800 numbers are proven to generate higher recall rates. Based on the statistical data we expect the activation and use of vanity 800 numbers to grow as well," says Noonan.

 

Additional data from survey #1 reveals that the majority of consumers continue to associate the 800 prefix as a toll-free phone number, and survey #2 also shows that consumers prefer to dial easy-to-remember vanity 800 numbers when reaching a local business in their market.

 

'800' is the Most Widely Recognized Toll-free Prefix

 

Results confirm that 800 is by far the most widely recognized toll-free prefix among consumers, with a 94% recognition rate. Recognition of the 800 prefix is consistent from 2002 to 2007. However, the 2007 study data shows a decline since 2002 in the recognition rates of 866, 877 and 888 prefixes with just 55%, 56% and 70% recognizing 866, 877, and 888 as toll-free respectively.

 

When Given a Choice, Consumers Prefer to Dial a Toll-free Vanity 800 Number to Reach a Local Business

 

After viewing an image that simulated a Yellow PagesTM advertisement, survey data also shows that 58% of respondents prefer to dial a vanity 800 number to reach a local business, rather than dialing a local or toll-free numeric phone number.

 

"Knowing that consumers can better recall vanity 800 numbers in multiple advertising media, and that 58% of consumers prefer to contact a local business by dialing a vanity 800 number, further proves the benefits available to advertisers who utilize a vanity 800 number. These surveys demonstrate that vanity 800 numbers are the strongest consumer response tools available according to recognition and recall rates," says Noonan.

 

Details of the Surveys: Two electronic surveys were distributed to 1,500+ opted-in respondents. Both surveys were executed through a market research firm, Infosurv, Inc. and e-Rewards, an electronic survey provider. Data analysis was conducted in conjunction with Scott Stevens, Associate Professor, Mathematics Division of Information Technology & Sciences at Champlain College located in Burlington, VT. For more information on the surveys, please contact Jeanne Landau at jlandau@800response.com or visit http://www.800response.com/news/pressreleases/ConsumerRecallRates_20080121.html. The study is available in PDF for download.

 

About 800response: 800response maintains the widest selection of Custom 800 numbers available today, and offers these dynamic lead tracking tools to optimize advertising expenditures for businesses nationwide. Custom 800 numbers are proven to substantially increase response rates. For more information, visit www.800response.com or call 1-800-NEW-SALES.

Call Tracking Is Easy and Produces Great Results

21 Feb 2010 • 07:08 AM • Business

 

Tracking business incoming and outgoing phone calls helps companies in many ways, is easy and inexpensive to set up, and provides proven results in several areas. Many different businesses from a wide range of markets are using a call tracking service. Realtors, hotels, mortgage companies, and lawyers have used the system and increased customer loyalty as a result. Working with available technology can be of great benefit to large and small businesses alike.

 

Using this call tracking system permits the company to maximize investment returns and change mere leads into increased sales. It also measures customer response to the various advertising techniques being tried, breaking it down into data that can be managed and compared, line by line. Doing these things will support decisions based on cost per lead and avoid waste. Another benefit of this strategic tracking is to measure staff performance. The owner can easily listen to sales pitches given by workers to increase constructive criticism for improvement. This can multiply motivation and productivity within the company, and also eliminate staffing problems.

 

Capturing data from phone system usage is easy and requires no special equipment. This does not require changing your phone service, either. Simply request the toll free numbers you would like to use and insert these numbers in your print media, website, TV spots, coupons, and radio advertising. Next, when customers respond to your advertising the calls are smoothly forwarded to the business owner and the ad and call data is collected without any involvement of the proprietor. Then, when it is convenient, log into the account, listen to calls, analyze data received, and make better decisions for your company.

 

All of this provides the results you need. Easily follow trends in your industry, identify issues with employees, see which ads are the most profitable, know where your calls are coming from, and receive an email alert when you have missed a call. These gain the trust of your clients and improve your conversation ratings. Generate more effective leads and stop wasting money on campaigns that don't work, all while using the same equipment you've always had. 

Call Tracking software comes with toll-free vanity 800 service.  Set up a Custom 800 number, like 1-800-NEW-CARS, which is easier for people to remember than a numeric toll-free, access call-tracking data, and improve your overall advertising campaign performance and easily monitor your ROI.