Mobile Pay-Per-Call Marketing: 3 Reasons it Works for Small Business

Mobile devices have saturated modern life. Everywhere you go you’ll find people talking, texting, and surfing the web on a mobile device. With mobile devices always within an arm’s reach, the value of mobile pay-per-call marketing has risen dramatically in recent years. One report after another has shown that the number of pay-per-call ads is on the rise, and an increasing value is being placed on local pay-per-call ads on mobile devices.

Small businesses (SMBs) have begun to recognize the value of mobile devices in the local pay-per-call marketing game. Even though few people actually use their mobile devices to make phone calls anymore, these devices are still (at their core) phones, in addition to serving as valuable search tools. This means that SMBs can gain a lot of value from local, mobile pay-per-call marketing with just a few helpful tips.

Mobile Calls have Value

Many marketers associate call duration with a quality lead. The longer a call lasts, the more likely it is to end in a purchase by the consumer. Call durations from pay-per-call marketing campaigns are on the rise; and mobile devices are at the front of the pack. Consumers may do a lot of research on PCs, but mobile devices are their primary tool for finding local businesses and initiating a purchase.

Call durations, on average, from Internet searches on a PC lasted just 2.2 minutes. Meanwhile, call durations stemming from “find” features and functions on mobile devices last almost double that time, clocking in at 3.5 minutes on average. Longer duration equals greater value.

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Certain Categories are Pay-Per-Call Gold Mines

An AT&T Interactive Local Insights Report found that certain search categories dominate searches conducted on mobile devices. Among these categories, restaurants, automotive, movie theaters, and beauty services led the way in searches. It is no longer good enough to settle for high-volume, low-cost leads.

SMBs that operate in these industries, in particular, need to adopt pay-per-call because consumers in their industries are making decisions on-the-go. And what happens when they find an SMB near them in these searches? They make a phone call to learn more information, set appointments, or get directions.

Criteria is Adjustable Across Industries

The trickiest part of pay-per-call marketing is that no two calls represent the same value. A one minute call to a pizza restaurant has much greater value, in all likelihood, than a one minute call to car dealer. Consumers can find a pizza joint, call, and place an order in one minute. The same cannot be said for a one-minute call to a car dealer.

A good advertiser will recognize that the value of a call can vary from one industry to the next. Billing criteria should be established that acknowledges that difference and prices should be adjusted to appropriate benchmarks for those different categories.

At the end of the day, SMBs can take advantage of pay-per-call tactics only if they understand the value of mobile leads. The information gathered from call data can help SMBs enhance mobile advertising programs, create better content, and help distribution partners better understand their business model.

Read More: How to Optimize Your Mobile Ad Campaigns