What are some creative ways that content marketers can make use of call tracking technology?

Get ready for a change: this edition of Ask an Expert has turned the tables on our usual format! This week, our editor Marissa Salta answered a few questions posed by CallTrackingMetrics Marketing Director Erika Rollins.

We’ve explored how call tracking can be used to gather data from just about every industry, from a nationwide rehab operator to a small travel guide organization. Digital marketers can use call tracking to attribute conversions back to their PPC ads;  but what about content marketers? Content marketers must be incredibly versatile to succeed in their chosen field; they often need to be skilled writers, graphic designers, and video producers. Successful content marketers must also become deeply familiar with the needs, wants, and concerns of their target audience.

So, how does call tracking fit into the mix? Let’s find out.

You’ve been learning a lot about call tracking lately. What was the first way you integrated that tool into your marketing strategy?

That’s a good question. I believe the first way I utilized call tracking in my content marketing was via a whitepaper.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, whitepapers are essentially topical essays that feature both valuable information, and an attractive design layout. Our team here at CallTrackingMetrics spent time researching a topic that would be intriguing to our potential customer base, and then compiled that information into a several-page writeup. After that, we ported the text into a visually appealing presentation, and made it available online. When visitors to the website attempted to view our presentation, they were required to enter their email in order to access a download link.

Every time a potential customer entered their email, they would be prompted to opt-in to our company’s email subscription. This represents the strategy behind content marketing; our desirable content, in the form of a whitepaper, drew in website visitors to supply us with their contact information. Now that we can email these visitors – who have already established themselves as a potential customer due to the topic of their download – we can demonstrate the value of our software to a person who otherwise may not have known about it.

Now, here’s where call tracking enters the picture. The whitepaper that we composed included a phone number through which a reader could call us to learn more information. That number we used? It was a CallTrackingMetrics tracking number! As calls filtered into our CallTrackingMetrics account, those who reached out via the special tracking number were flagged as having read the whitepaper. Not only did we know what topic that caller was interested in prior to picking up the phone, but we also were able to gather data on which whitepapers resulted in the most incoming calls.

Over time, we were able to spend our resources much more selectively, by only composing whitepapers similar in nature to our most successful ones. If we hadn’t been using a special tracking number for each whitepaper, we would have no idea which ones were actually resulting in calls.

Since then, how else have you used tracking numbers in your content?

Well, the beauty of using a tracking number is that it can attach an incredible amount of data and metrics to your marketing efforts. Adding a dedicated tracking number to A/B versions of a  campaign, for example, can provide solid data on which version results in more conversions. When you get real data on what actually works, you don’t have to rely on “best guesses” or intuition.

To that end, we love adding tracking numbers to just about everything. They’re easy to obtain through CallTrackingMetrics, so why not include a tracking number in social posts? Twitter, Facebook and Instagram users love the ability to text or call a business straight from the app. Adding a tracking number to your social media posts can tell you which promotions and photos are resulting in new leads, and which platform is the most active with your customer base.

The same logic can be applied to email marketing. We’ve built multiple long and short term email drips that are tagged with different tracking numbers. Our email management system may be able to tell us which emails result in the most clicks, but only the CTM tracking number can tell us which emails result in the most calls. Remember, calls convert at three times the rate of clicks!

We’ve also utilized the power of tracking numbers to learn more about our audience. CallTrackingMetrics offers Enhanced Caller Insights, which delivers incredible metrics on who exactly is calling, including their income, their education level, and whether or not they have children. Information is power, and it’s great to know exactly who you’re talking to when you pick up the phone.

Could you envision a scenario in which you wouldn’t want to add a tracking number to your marketing content?

Honestly, there’s no reason not to. Tracking numbers simply add an extra layer of data, and marketing campaigns can only remain successful if they’re constantly evolving based on hard data. CallTrackingMetrics is growing incredibly quickly as a company, so while we’re actively working to expand our team, we need to spend our current resources as efficiently as possible. We couldn’t be successful without tracking numbers!