A VERY simple step could save your agency from throwing thousands of pounds down the drain

We’ve all been there.

When a big shining penny so blindingly obvious drops into our laps and screams ‘What the f**k took you so long?!!!!’

Let me explain.

Twice this week I’ve had conversations with clients about their PR and marketing plans for the next quarter.

Both times I’ve heard words to the effect of;  ‘We do it but we can’t measure the response, so we don’t know if it’s worth doing.’

It was at this point that I leapt to my feet, spun around 360 degrees and leapt in the air like a Scottish fresh water Salmon and said: “Listen up my bricks and mortar marketing amigos!

“There is a way you can keep a track on how your marketing performs. Use tracking numbers.”

Now I know this doesn’t sound like the discovery of a 100 per cent cure for a hangover (that’d make billions!) but I was surprised these two clever and proactive agents weren’t using them.

It’s simple. The ‘virtual’ number sits over your existing numbers so that for example a flier / newsletter you have sent out has a ‘virtual number’ at the bottom.

At the end of the week / month the virtual number provider sends you a report telling you how many times that number was called so you get to know if your flier generated leads rather than guessing.

The numbers can be applied to your email marketing, newspaper advertising, billboards etc.

In my experience they are surprisingly cheap but well worth having.

Ask yourself why would you spend hundreds or in a lot of cases thousands on a marketing campaign and not measure the response? Bonkers really.

Anyway hope that helps folks and here’s to your next instruction.

Jerry

PS: My September Sizzler offer is any article you need written for your agency for just £29.99 (Up to 350 words – usual price for this £49.99).

Alex Evans

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