On Tuesday, I began discussing our inbound call product, which we’re all very seriously excited about. In that first post, I sheepishly admitted that a client actually had to email me in order to find out that we offer inbound, ‘Click-to-Call’ lead generation. My answer, as you may recall, was ‘Yes! We do Click-to-Call!’
So, here’s the deal: you should not have to email me to find out about one of our best-performing offerings. (You should, however, email me often; you can do that by clicking here). To better highlight the product, I’ve decided to write a three part series on the MobileLeads way of conducting call advertising. This, here, is part two.
On Tuesday, I wrote a quick summary of what Click-to-Call advertising really is. For those just joining us, this form of marketing prompts a consumer to skip the request for information forms entirely and simply call the advertiser. In this post, I’ll share how this particular utility drives something that folks in performance marketing have been searching after for a long, long time: alignment.
Perhaps the best way to think about alignment in media is to first examine the agendas of the stakeholders. In this case the parties include the Consumer, the Publisher and the Advertiser. These entities are entirely separate and, often times, at odds in a marketing event. A look at these individual profiles (thumbnail-sketched below) explains why most lead generation efforts fall short of their promise. Co-registration, data lead generation, call centers and even hot transfers all tend to leave at least one party in the lurch.
The Players:
The Advertiser has the budget to buy media. He or she wants real inquiries, though; not just names to call. Real people with demonstrable interest. Further, the Advertiser wants these real inquiries in real time. And, they want to track every last penny of the media spend, so that they can ascertain campaign performance on a cost-per-customer acquisition model.
The Publisher is the lead originator. Through their own proprietary channels, Publishers have access to people who MIGHT be interested in what the Advertiser is selling. Leveraging this access to people is how the Publisher makes money, so he or she is likely to be upbeat about it. But, the Publisher has questions. How will the Advertiser help to optimize the campaign? Why a mandatory scrubbing/return policy – doesn’t everyone understand that these are just leads? How do I track my campaigns? Can I be assured that this is a long-term opportunity, or am I doing lots of work for someone else’s quick gain? Basically, the Publisher wants to avoid becoming a victim.
The Consumer. This person is interested. He or she would like to learn more about the Advertiser’s product. This interest, though, is fleeting. The Consumer isn’t interested in filling out forms all over the internet, disclosing personal information just for the privilege of considering a purchase. The Consumer wants answers to his or her questions, on his or her schedule.
These are the essential ingredients in a lead transaction; without any one of these profiles, there’s no action. Understanding the separate agendas of these parties means acknowledging the inherent conflict that exists between them. In most lead generation scenarios, at least one party loses. Here’s how that can shake out:
The Consumer gives up information and becomes part of a database. This means lots of phone calls and emails, well past the expression of interest (if there was one). It can also mean that the Consumer begins to hear from other organizations to which his or her information was sold. This, predictably, annoys the Consumer greatly.
The Advertiser has bought something that may or may not pan out. At best, they might be able to reach the Consumer. Or, the Consumer may have lost all interest by the time he or she is reached. In either case, the Advertiser is likely to have paid for something that has no utility to them.
Finally, the Publisher has invested time and money, seemingly fulfilled his or her duty and procured leads. However, the fate of the Publisher’s work rests in the hands of a third party who provides little to no visibility into the success of these efforts. And, holding an Advertiser accountable for the poor contact rate will never fly. The Publisher is in a weak position. No metrics, no control, no leverage, no voice. No bueno.
The above is a problem, and it’s systemic to most lead generation methodologies. But, it’s not the only way. There is a way to align all three parties; you just have to advertise with us! Our Click-to-Call model is centered on the idea that we can serve the Consumer, the Advertiser and the Publisher in a manner consistent with their agendas. Here’s why:
Because the Consumer is taking real action by dialing in, he or she gives up no personal information on the web. This means that the data exchange happens on the Consumer’s terms. And, because the Consumer is speaking with the Advertiser directly, there’s no chance of the information being submitted through multiple post paths. The Consumer get’s the information he or she wants, on his or her schedule.
Because each Advertiser in our system must first dictate the minimum time duration and screening questions for each call, they will only end up paying for inquiries that meet their pre-ordained approval. No more unreachable leads – the Advertiser gets the inquiry delivered live and in person! At the precise time of Consumer intrigue, no less. Show us a data lead that stands up to this, and dinner’s on us.
And, finally, the Publisher. The one who has invested time and money and is crossing fingers in hopes of success. Now, though, there’s a dashboard with real time reporting. Caller ID numbers, call duration, in some cases, even recordings. The Publisher gets to see everything. And, the Advertiser is accountable for the numbers, too. Unlike most scenarios, the Publisher is in a great, informed position.
So, there you have it. Want alignment? Work with us. Publishers and Advertisers can start that process by inquiring here.
Stay tuned! Next week (Tuesday, roughly), we’ll show you a snazzy flow chart that will make all these words seem completely superfluous. Thanks for reading!
