The toll-free vanity numbers revolution is here to stay. And for sound reasons too. Marketers and business owners all over the world have woken up to the magic that these phone words can weave on the sales curve and thus are sparing no effort to bag a vanity 800 number for their businesses. You too have not lagged behind and have one such number to show for all your efforts. Now it is up to you to unleash the potential of toll free vanity numbers. And as you ponder over ingenious ways to use your vanity number, here are three common marketing mistakes to steer clear of.

Marketing Mistake #1: Going over the over-the-top with your toll-free vanity number.

In their enthusiasm to work wonders with a newly-acquired vanity number, business owners often go berserk and conjure up a mishmash of numbers and words that make the phoneword hard to remember. This defeats the purpose of the vanity toll-free number, the appeal of which lies in its easy recall feature.

Business owners err on two fronts. Firstly, many end up using a hybrid number, like 1-800-421-SMILE instead of its simpler alternative 1-800-SMILE NOW. Hybrid numbers are harder to remember simply because a collection of some random numbers is difficult to keep in mind. Secondly, some business owners go a little too far with their creativity and end up using words in their vanity numbers that are difficult to spell. For instance, a number that reads 1-800-ORTHODONTIST is harder to remember than 1-800-SMILE NOW. Besides, the latter also conveys more readily the unique selling position or USP of the practice.

Marketing Mistake #2: Conveying nothing with your toll-free vanity number.

A toll-free vanity number is not just a number that tells your customer how to reach you. It is also a medium which you can use to portray your USP or all that is good and refreshingly different about your business. So, instead of inserting your company’s name in the phone word, which means nothing to your target audience if they do not know you by name, try phrases such as QUICKLOANS or SMARTLAW. You may also insert the generic name of the industry you are operating in, in your vanity number, an excellent marketing practice, provided it is still up for grabs.

You are the decision the maker. Your employees are doing their job and the better you are doing in business the more employees you can hire. This is what a vanity toll-free number can do for you and you should not have to hire an expensive PR firm to conjure up this idea. When you grow sizeable enough then the marketing efforts should be handled by professionals since this is not your domain by trade but to reach that size, your business may almost always need a vanity number to enable this growth to occur.

Marketing Mistake #3: Not using the toll-free vanity number across all your promotional campaigns.

When you are shelling out money for a vanity toll-free number, then make the most of it and use it in all your promotional campaigns—in newspapers, on the television and radio, billboards, and in the social media. It makes sense for it will hardly take up much ad space and you will also not lose out on any opportunity to take your vanity number to your target audience.

The above are some of the most common pitfalls that business owners fail to realize when they advertise with their toll-free vanity numbers. And now that you know all about them, you can build your marketing campaign around your prized vanity number and ensure that you are not pipped to the post.