Author’s Bio: As a proponent of virtual phone numbers and VoIP-related technologies, Tom Senkus shares his knowledge of how businesses can leverage them to expand their marketing efforts, brand awareness, and overall reach. For more information about Tom’s list of services and his published output, visit www.tomsenkuswriter.com
Are you wondering how to use virtual phone numbers like many successful businesses? In this article, we’ll take a look at some common methods to help you gain a wider audience.
First, How Do Virtual Phone Numbers Work?
The key to using virtual phone numbers is understanding how they function. When a caller dials a virtual phone number, the call is routed through the Internet (thanks to cloud-based tech) and is received instantly by a destination phone number. This means that you can be located in another area or country entirely, will still gaining access to the markets that you choose. Virtual phone numbers are available from qualified service providers like United World Telecom (https://www.unitedworldtelecom.com/) and are available in a variety of options, including:
– Toll free numbers
– International toll free numbers (ITFS numbers)
– Vanity phone numbers
Local area phone numbers
Similarly, virtual phone numbers have a number of add-ons and added functionalities that can add new ways of marketing your business, such as time of day routing (so your business never misses a call during off-hours), virtual SMS (so you can contact customers via text message), call recording (so you can comply with international regulations and for customer service, IVR/extensions (so customers can self-select through your company’s directory and efficiently get the info they need), and many others.
Now that you’re brought up to speed on what virtual phone numbers are and their capabilities, let’s look at a few common marketing usages of virtual phone numbers.
Listing Virtual Phone Numbers on Webpages
Perhaps the easiest way to use a virtual phone number is to simply list it on your website or related web pages as part of your inbound marketing strategy. When customers are ready to call, they can take action when they’re ready. While it is a passive way of marketing, it may be just what your customers are looking for to complete a transaction.
Considering that 2.5 billion people use some form of mobile device around the world (or 1/3 of the Earth’s population), you can list your virtual phone number and pair it with the add-on called “click to call,” which is exactly as it sounds: When a customer clicks or taps your phone number as a link, the call is instantly initiated on their device.
Using Virtual Phone Numbers on Billboards
Virtual phone numbers and billboards work like peanut butter and jelly. By listing your virtual phone number on a billboard, you can build your brand awareness while also prompting callers to interact with your business. And because virtual phone numbers can be location-specific, you can use a series of virtual phone numbers to get the attention of specific target markets.
One advantage of using virtual phone numbers on billboards is that you can pinpoint how effectively your marketing efforts are being used, as you can get a clear tally of who is calling and which number they used. By using a specific virtual phone number per billboard, you can get instant analytics on your marketing ROI that you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to know.
Expanding Internationally
Virtual phone numbers are an incredible way to boost your business’ marketing in international markets. Considering that you can use a local area phone number (or toll free number for that matter), callers are more likely to contact businesses that meet the criteria they prefer. For foreign businesses, this can be a great boon, as creating an authentic business presence by virtual means in new markets is a challenge. Virtual phone numbers, particularly local area phone numbers that have corresponding area/regions to the customers you want to connect with, can aid in the localization process of your business. Furthermore, if you’re looking to test the waters of international expansion but are unsure of how your business will be perceived, using a foreign virtual phone number can help your business work out the kinks of handling new market demands and how your brand is received.
