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News Release from: DBS | Subject: Freephone numbers to measure ad effectiveness
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 15 November 2007
Freephone numbers help monitor ad
effectiveness
Freephone 0800 and similar numbers are the most reliable and affordable way to find out if your advertising is working for you, argues marketing consultant David Clarke.
It's an old marketing adage but if you can't measure the response from your advertising how you can you hope to manage it? Businesses can easily obtain vital marketing data on a monthly basis that can show them exactly which advertising works and which doesn't The concept is quite simple
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 16 Nov 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Top seven FAQs about 0800 numbers
Marketing consultant David Clarke answers the seven most frequently asked questions regarding 0800 numbers that will help you get the best deal for your business.
Businesses need to place unique, individual numbers in each of their adverts.
Freephone 0800 numbers are a good choice as the fact that they are free to call makes them attractive to potential customers.
There is also the added advantage that practically everyone knows that 0800 is free but may think that other "08" prefix number such as 0870 or 0845 are expensive to call.
Small to medium-sized enterprises can still use 0845, 0870 or 0844 numbers if they wish with the benefit of making a few pence per minute on each call.
I prefer freephone numbers as they are the most enticing way to bring in a new enquiry.
For example, if a business has five adverts in the Yellow Pages then they need to use five different 0800 numbers - one number for each ad.
All telecoms providers provide some form of bill whether it is printed or downloadable.
Usually the billing information is quite detailed and gives the number of calls with duration, time of day and cost of call.
Every month you should look at the call data to see the number of calls on each 0800 number.
Jot it down on a grid or enter it onto an Excel spreadsheet.
The major advantage of using an Excel spreadsheet is that you can easily convert a data table into a bar graph.
You will then be able to see, at a glance, which adverts are working and which aren't and even keep a rolling average that will assist you in making spending decisions for the following year.
If you wish you can take it a step further and calculate the actual cost per enquiry.
This is the best known way that I can directly compare the effectiveness of my different media.
If you know the annual cost of an advert it's easy to calculate the monthly cost.
An Excel spread can calculate the average number of calls you receive a month.
Divide the two and you have the cost per enquiry.
If you are an Excel whiz then you can create a formula to do this for you.
For example: if one advert costs GBP100 per month and you get an average of 10 calls on the 0800 number in the ad then the cost per enquiry is GBP10.
You can then compare media such as the BT Phone Book, Thomson, Yell.com and Yellow Pages and more.
This means you can cut back or cancel unprofitable adverts that aren't pulling their weight.
Many businesses find this invaluable as they look to free up money from printed advertising to fund website design and internet marketing.
Of course, it is essential to order new 0800 numbers to use with any new advertising and not to cut corners on tracking.
I have been using this system for over 10 years and have helped businesses save money by using this simple and effective freephone or phone number tracking system.
What are you waiting for - start helping your business to run as efficiently as possible in the expensive world of advertising campaigns.
Author David Clarke is an expert internet marketing consultant in the UK and provides 0800 numbers, 0845 numbers and Local Phone Numbers both in the UK and internationally.
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