Call tracking for small businesses: which advert made it ring?

Key takeaways

Call tracking for a small business means giving an advert its own phone number that forwards to your normal line. Every call to that number came from that advert. It is the most direct way to measure print, leaflets, vans and radio, where the response is a phone call.

• 1 dedicated number per channel is enough to start.
• Calls forward to your usual phone, so nothing changes for staff.
• Costs are typically a few pounds a month per number.
• Tell callers if you record, and say why.

What is call tracking?

Call tracking is the use of separate phone numbers for separate adverts, with a service that forwards each call to your main line and logs it. The log shows the date, time, length and number dialled. Some services also swap the number shown on your website according to where the visitor came from.

• Social media marketing vs traditional advertising: what works better for SMEs?
• How to track offline advertising: six methods that work

Why does it matter for traditional advertising?

It matters because most offline adverts ask people to phone. A leaflet with your normal number produces calls nobody can attribute. The same leaflet with its own number produces a count. That count is what turns a renewal from a habit into a decision.

• Leaflets vs social media ads: which wins local customers?
• Social media vs print advertising: which earns its place?

Which adverts deserve a dedicated number?

Give a dedicated number to any channel that costs real money and asks for a call.

• Each leaflet campaign or delivery area.
• Each print title you advertise in.
• Your vehicle livery.
• A radio campaign, if the number is memorable.
• Your Google Business Profile, with care over consistency.

• Van signwriting and shop signs: the advertising you own
• Local SEO for a small business website

What does it cost?

Virtual numbers typically cost a few pounds a month each, with a small charge per forwarded minute on some plans. Three numbers cover most small firms. Compared with a £500 leaflet drop or a £1,000 print series, the cost is trivial and the information lasts.

• How much does advertising cost a UK small business?

Local number or 0800?

For a local business, a local geographic number usually performs best, because it signals that you are nearby. A freephone number can suit regional or national campaigns. Avoid premium-rate numbers for enquiries. Whatever you choose, keep it for the life of the advert, since leaflets are kept and vans are seen for years.

What are the rules on recording calls?

Recording is optional and has rules. If you record calls, UK GDPR requires you to tell callers, have a lawful basis and keep recordings securely for no longer than needed. Many small firms log calls without recording them, which avoids most of the burden and still shows which advert produced the ring.

• GDPR and social media marketing in the UK

How do you read the results?

Count calls by number, remove wrong numbers and existing customers, and note which became enquiries and sales. Divide each channel's cost by those enquiries. Check missed calls too: a tracking log often reveals that a share of advertising calls were never answered.

• Cost per lead by channel: comparing social media and offline
• Outsourced call answering for UK businesses

What are the limits?

Call tracking counts calls, not minds. It misses people who saw the advert and went to your website or social profile instead. Existing customers may dial the tracked number from a kept leaflet. Use it with the question 'how did you hear about us?' for a fuller picture.

• 'How did you hear about us?' Asking the question properly

How does social media fit in?

Social media needs call tracking less, because the platforms report clicks to call and messages. A dedicated number on your social profile still helps to catch people who see a post and dial by hand. It also lets you compare social media and print on the same measure.

• How to measure social media ROI

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see once tracking numbers go live: the surprise is not which advert wins. It is how many calls arrive out of hours or go unanswered at lunchtime. The advertising was working. The firm was not picking up.

• See client work
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

Next step

Order one tracking number and put it on your next leaflet or print advert. Review the log after four weeks.