Come on over: Call marketing leads don’t all cost money

Come on over: Call marketing leads don’t all cost money

 

Some may be surprised to learn that in our high-tech, web-obsessed world, call marketing campaigns remain one of the most effective ways to target customers and generate sales.

The average incoming phone call converts 10 times faster than a web lead, largely because your customer is already present and has already shown interest in your company and/or product. Getting potential customers on the phone offers an immediacy that just can’t be matched by the query forms filled out online, which often languish in CRM systems until someone from sales has the time or inclination to follow up.

“Phone calls are answered and voicemails are returned,” advises Brian Massey on Marketingland.com. “There is no CRM icebox where your contacts can be sent to chill while everyone updates their lead reports. A phone call is worth between 500 percent and 1,000 percent (five to 10 times) more in revenue than a completed form will generate.”

In fact, says Ken Krogue in Forbes, some 71 percent of internet leads are ultimately wasted and 35 to 64 percent are never contacted at all.

“The internet is shortening our attention spans, but sales teams still have absolutely no idea how fast they need to respond to online inquiries to be effective, and they don’t have the technology to help them do it,” Krogue says. “IT and marketing departments are rarely any better, often tying up leads for hours or days just getting them routed to the right place.”

So how are those phone calls generated in the first place? One of the most prominent ways is to place ads on websites strategically chosen to appeal to your target market, featuring brief but strong calls to action in each ad inviting respondents to call immediately. When users access such sites via mobile, the ads feature click-to-call buttons that allow them to answer the call to action nearly effortlessly. The calls are immediately answered by trained staff at your calling centers who are ready to answer questions and objections and (hopefully) close the sales. Software offered by Dial800 can route the calls to your specifications, automatically provide the staffer information about the caller, and record and analyze the outcome.

Not all lead generation costs money, however. You can optimize the leads you generate through your own website with the following funneling techniques.

  • Search engine optimization (SEO): The strategy of incorporating frequently searched keywords into your website content including the URL, page title, header tags, image alt tags and body copy, plays a huge part in driving qualified customers to your site and landing pages so they’re exposed to your ads. Another part of SEO is encouraging others to add inbound links to your page.
  • Gated content: Creating or buying relevant content such as blogs, white papers, e-books and infographics that offer value to your target customers can also encourage them to visit your website for better exposure. Further, each piece generates a new indexable page for search engines to crawl, increasing your visibility on Google, Yahoo and Bing and making your site easier to find. Another option is providing summaries of teasers about your content on your site, but requiring would-be readers to call you to receive the entire version.
  • Social media posts: Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn all offer ways you can zero in on target audiences with your posts. Engagement increases when you frequently share photos, videos, infographics and other messaging. Paid ads that extend beyond your regular social media presences can also be highly effective.

Conducted strategically, your inbound call marketing campaign can be a cost-effective and fruitful way of encouraging interested customers to contact your business.

Dial800 has the knowledge, experience and technical expertise to help you make the most of your campaign. Call us today at 1-800-700-1987.