Ringing Up ROI: Mastering Offline Attribution and Call Tracking

Originally published on the CallTrackingMetrics blog.

For many businesses, phone calls remain a crucial touchpoint in the customer journey. They often lead to higher conversion rates, larger profit margins, and lasting customer relationships. The challenge lies in connecting these outcomes with marketing efforts, especially when it comes to offline initiatives. When speaking with 20 marketers globally, this frustration comes up repeatedly. A special shoutout to our guest contributors for their candid responses and insight into different marketing environments.

Let’s look at why phone calls still matter, how to integrate them into your marketing strategy, and the best practices for tracking and attribution.

Why Phone Calls Still Matter

Despite the variety of digital communication channels available to marketers today, phone calls offer unique benefits that continue to make them relevant and valuable:

1. Personal Touch: With the increased use of chatbots and automated customer service, phone calls set your business apart with a human connection. This interaction is helpful in settings where trust and relationship-building are vital, such as healthcare, high-value services (think auto dealers), emergency services, and legal services.?

Commenting on the personal touch element of this old-school marketing tool, Keyzoo CEO Eli Itzhaki said,

1. Higher Intent and Conversion Rates: Customers who take the time to call often have a higher intent to purchase. Many businesses report that phone inquiries convert significantly faster than digital leads.?

For example, one company found that phone inquiries converted to consultations at a rate of 40%, compared to just 20% for online inquiries. To illustrate this point, consider this first-hand experience from attorney and business owner Oliver Morrisey of Empower Wills & Estate Lawyers:

Phone calls offer a personal touch that digital interactions often lack. They allow us to build rapport with potential clients, answer their questions in real-time, and provide immediate assistance. This personal connection can be crucial in the legal field, where trust and communication are paramount.

Phone calls also often lead to higher conversion rates. Clients who take the time to call are usually more serious about engaging our services, and they convert to consultations at a rate of about 40%, compared to around 20% for online inquiries.

1. Larger Average Order Values: Phone conversations allow for more in-depth discussions about products or services, often resulting in upsells or cross-sells. Several companies report that phone leads bring in average order values 25-30% higher than those from online channels.
2. Immediate Problem-Solving: For complex products or services, a phone call allows for real-time problem-solving and immediate answers to customer questions. This can be the difference between making a sale and losing a customer to analysis paralysis.
3. Demographic Considerations: While younger generations may prefer digital communications, phone calls remain important for older demographic groups. For instance, Property Saviour found that 40% of its target audience (homeowners aged 55+) preferred picking up the phone to filling out online forms.

Integrating Call-to-Action Prompts in Offline Marketing

To best harness phone calls’ power as a marketing tool, you must effectively integrate call-to-action (CTA) prompts into your offline marketing channels.?

Here are some strategies that have proven successful, according to our respondents:

• Vanity Numbers: Memorable vanity numbers to increase response rates. For example, garage door company Mid-Atlantic Door Group's Overhead Door? integrated “888-OVERHEAD” into a recent radio jingle. Commenting on why the company used this tactic for its marketing campaign, Justin White, Vice President, Residential & Marketing, said,

Beyond radio, as you know, it has helped simplify our decals and unify all vehicle designs for our multiple locations. Instead of a random number, which can often be forgotten, we can show our branded name one more time!

• Clear and Compelling CTAs: Pair your phone number with a strong call-to-action that’s enticing to customers. Phrases like "Call Now for a Free Consultation" or "Speak to an Expert Today" can drive engagement.
• Visual Prominence: Ensure your phone number stands out in your marketing materials. Use bold fonts, contrasting colors, and prominent placement to catch the viewer's eye.
• Incentives: Offer a special discount or promotion for callers to motivate them to pick up the phone. This can be particularly effective in direct mail campaigns.
• Channel-Specific Numbers: Use different phone numbers for different marketing channels (e.g., one for billboards, another for print ads) to help with attribution.

Tracking and Attribution Strategies for Offline Marketing

The real power of incorporating phone calls into your marketing strategy comes from your ability to track and attribute these calls accurately. Here are some of the most effective methods that CallTrackingMetrics’ customers use and ones also recommended by fellow marketers:

Call Tracking Software

First, invest in robust call tracking software that can record and analyze call data. Insights into call duration, frequency, and outcomes can be instrumental in refining your marketing strategies. Furthermore, tailored software, particularly one with AI features, helps streamline the follow up process and analyze conversations for ways to improve customer satisfaction.

Unique Phone Numbers

Next, purchase and assign a distinct phone number to each marketing campaign or channel you want to track. This allows you to directly attribute calls to specific efforts. For instance, a NYC event space company incorporated offline-specific numbers into specific magazine and print publication placements to track their success in generating leads.

Promotional Codes

Include unique promotional codes in your offline ads or other marketing collateral that customers must mention when they call. This not only helps with attribution but can also increase engagement. Many marketers suggest offering a special promotional code or phrase that triggers a special discount.

Train Your Team?

Make sure your customer service representatives are trained to ask callers how they heard about your company. Baking this simple question into every call can provide valuable attribution data that can help inform future marketing initiatives.

Integrate with Your CRM

Connect your call tracking system with your customer relationship management (CRM) software to get a complete picture of the customer journey. By linking call information to specific customer profiles, you can better understand how phone conversations fit into the overall sales process and identify key touchpoints that lead to conversions.?

Moreover, this integrated approach helps your sales and marketing teams make more informed decisions, personalize their follow-up strategies, and improve customer satisfaction and retention rates.

Best Practices for Implementing a Call-Focused Marketing Strategy

Now that you’re hopefully convinced that calls remain a key component of your offline marketing strategies, let’s review some best practices to ensure they deliver tangible results:

• Ensure Consistency: Make sure your messaging is consistent across all channels, including your phone scripts.
• Optimize for Mobile: Many customers will be calling from mobile devices after seeing your ad. Ensure your phone numbers are clickable on mobile-optimized landing pages.
• Test and Refine: Continuously test different CTAs, phone number placements, and scripts to optimize your conversion rates.
• Train Your Team: Invest in training for your phone representatives. They are often the first human touchpoint for potential customers and can make or break a sale.
• Integrate Online and Offline: Use insights from phone calls to inform your digital strategies and vice versa. A holistic view of customer interactions across all channels will yield the best results.

Conclusion

While digital marketing continues to evolve and dominate, the power of the phone call should not be forgotten. By effectively integrating phone calls into your marketing strategy and implementing robust call tracking and attribution methods, you can unlock valuable insights, improve your ROI, and provide a superior customer experience.

Remember, the key is to view phone calls not as an outdated relic, but as a powerful tool in your multi-channel marketing arsenal. When combined with digital efforts and properly attributed, phone calls can drive significant business growth and customer satisfaction.

So, don't hang up on phone calls just yet. Instead, dial in your strategy.