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Calls 101
By Ari Jacoby | October 11, 2007
When you look at using pay-per-phone call services to optimize local ad campaigns, it’s important to understand what your objectives are and what you’re getting. Some agencies and publishers use services such as Voicestar for call-tracking purposes, while many lead generators and search engine marketing firms use the services to sell leads on a pay-per- phone call basis. The difference between these two approaches is important.
The ability to gather metrics on inbound phone calls is quickly becoming a “must have” for publishers and agencies, and that’s what call-tracking provides. There is no good substitute for proving the results of an ad campaign by showing an advertiser who called the ad’s unique phone number, when the ad was called, how long each call lasted and, online, which keywords and referring URLs triggered the call.
Pay-per-phone call is a different model that allows an advertiser or agency to connect with customers by buying calls just like they might buy clicks. Millions of local advertisers that have historically advertised in yellow pages, newspapers and radio still have no Web presence. For these advertisers, telephone commerce, or “T-commerce,”
reigns supreme. A local florist might pay $7 or $8 per call, while a local chiropractor might pay $10 or $12.
While these prices are higher than comparable click prices, many advertisers find calls more valuable. Clicks can be anonymous, but a phone conversation can quickly separate an apartment overlooking “Central Park” from a double-wide in a “trailer park.” In high-yield/high- consideration categories such as kitchen remodeling or cosmetic dentistry, there is a very attractive ROI for the advertiser who can schedule an appointment after having a consultative discussion.
There is no “one size fits all” strategy for players in the local advertising space. Call-tracking is about providing a proof of value statement; pay-per-phone call speaks to the economics of a local sale. Call tracking is a fabulous tool for advertiser acquisition and retention; pay-per-phone call is a great way to maximize the real value of a lead. This is a call to arms to every agency and publisher out there that serves local advertisers–where do you want to be in the value chain?
Topics: PPCall, Advertising |