Call now! 9 tips for highlighting your phone number in mobile ads

It’s safe to say the majority of inbound marketers these days rely on mobile ads to drive leads.

That’s not surprising given that the number of mobile phone users worldwide is expected to surpass 5 billion by next year, while annual calls to business via smartphone should reach 162 billion when factoring in responses from search (paid and organic), traditional display ads, native social (in-feed) ads and mobile landing pages. Next year mobile advertising is slated to represent 72 percent of all U.S. digital ad spending, and by 2020 marketers worldwide will spend an estimated $247.3 billion on mobile ads.

“The average American spends over 500 hours per year navigating websites or talking on their mobile device, providing ample opportunity to capture their attention and get them discussing your business on a device they use so frequently as part of their daily lives,” notes Elyse Flynn Meyer in Forbes.

That said, plenty of ineffective mobile ads out there do a lackluster job of grabbing viewer attention. And such failures could be of major issue to marketers trying to interest viewers to the point they immediately call in for information or to place an order.

Consider how these suggestions for designing click-to-call ads (or mobile ads that simply include your phone number) might improve your conversion rates.

• When possible, target your ads toward customers with a history of responding to such offers via phone call (analytics can help).
• Because many mobile customers stop viewing ads they see as overly branded, immediately get to the point and focus on your product and its benefits more than your brand.
• Grab attention via colorful, appropriately sized, high-impact graphics chosen for their visual appeal to your specific target audience, based on data.
• Begin your offer with a simple, believable value proposition, perhaps offering a statement of social proof. Example:

  

  “Our customers rate this pizza our No. 1 most delicious.” Then position your phone number within a crystal-clear call to action that imparts urgency, such as “Order now at 1-877-YES-PIZZA to get 20 percent off.”

• While perceptions of color are highly subjective, color has been shown to emotionally impact viewers in different ways. Use it strategically when crafting your message, and consider displaying your phone number in a contrasting hue. “Research clearly shows participants are able to recognize and recall an item far better (be it text or an image) when it blatantly sticks out from its surroundings,” notes Gregory Ciotti.
• Consider creating short videos that showcase your product and end with your number, also including text for those who will view them on mute. “Six-second ads are becoming a standard format in digital media, championed by YouTube and recently embraced by Fox, to combat consumers’ ad avoidance,” notes Garett Sloane in AdAge.
• Incorporate catchy jingles that use your number in highly memorable ways.
• Use analytics tools to continually test different ad versions so you can compare conversions and make changes that bring you the biggest bang for your buck.

When designing your mobile ads, making your phone number easy to find can help key customers reach you quickly and effortlessly. Take time to ensure your number is displayed to its full advantage.

Talk to Custom Toll Free about securing a vanity phone number that will be highly memorable in your mobile ads.