Skip to main content
  • Toolset
  • Solutions
  • About DMS
  • Case Studies
  • Contact Us

Connect With Your Audience At Scale

  • Articles
  • Case Studies
  • Videos
    • As Seen In...
    • Press Releases
    • Contact DMS
    • Events
    • DMS Live
    • Contact DMS
    • Careers @ DMS
    • DMS Investor Info
    • DMS Toolset
    • DMS Solutions
    • DMS Team
    • DMS Voices

Recent Searches

    Share this Post

    • Share on facebook
    • Share on twitter
    • Share on linkedin
    • Share on email
    1. Home
    2. DMS Insights: Digital Advertising News
    3. What Is Pay-Per-Call Lead Generation?

    Fill form to unlock content

    Loading, please wait

    Error - something went wrong!

    Thank you!

    What Is Pay-Per-Call Lead Generation?

    Do you want more inbound calls delivered to your call center reps, but you don’t understand the terminology of pay-per-call lead generation? Digital Media Solutions is here to help. In this article, we’ve answered five of the most-searched questions about pay-per-call lead generation. Click on your question below to see the answer.

    1. What is pay-per-call? 
    2. What is click-to-call marketing? 
    3. How are click-to-call leads generated? 
    4. What are live agent transfers? 
    5. Do I need different scripts for different types of inbound calls? 

    1. What is pay-per-call?

    pay-per-call

    Pay-per-call lead generation is the act of generating inbound calls, paying on a cost per call basis. Pay-per-call includes a number of methods of inbound call generation, including some that are consumer initiated and additional methods that are call center agent initiated.

    Consumer-initiated pay-per-call methods include:

    • Mobile search: Generated predominantly from Google search results, but may include second-tier search engine campaigns.
    • Mobile display: Banner ads with call prompts.
    • Email marketing: With the inbound phone number on the email creative, inbound calls can be generated.
    • SMS: Text messages can include a phone number to drive inbound calls.

    Call center agent-initiated pay-per-call methods include live agent transfers, often called warm transfers or hot transfers.

    2. What is click-to-call marketing?

    Click-to-call marketing is a form of pay-per-call lead generation during which a consumer clicks on a phone number in an advertisement to place a call from a mobile phone. Click-to-call marketing methods can include mobile search, mobile display, email marketing and SMS.

    3. How are click-to-call leads generated?

    Click-to-call leads are generated by a consumer taking the action from a mobile phone to click on a phone number within an ad. This action begins an inbound call. Click-to-call advertising methods can include:

    • Mobile search: Generated predominantly from Google search results, but may include second-tier search engine campaigns. Mobile search campaigns can include both branded and non-branded campaigns. Because callers were actively searching and are often in the compare/buy mindset, mobile search pay-per-call campaigns typically generate high-quality inbound calls with high conversion rates.
    • Mobile display: Banner ads with call prompts. Often with mobile display pay-per-call campaigns, the caller must dial the number on the banner ad instead of clicking on the creative.
    • Email marketing: With the inbound phone number on the email creative, inbound calls can be generated. Email marketing generating pay-per-call leads can be deployed at times scheduled to match call center hours.
    • SMS: Text messages can include a phone number to drive inbound calls. SMS campaigns require TCPA consent to message consumers, but artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to create two-way conversations that nurture consumers until they are ready to place an inbound call.

    4. What are live agent transfers?

    Live agent transfers can be agent-initiated or consumer-initiated pay-per-call leads. Typically for agent-initiated calls, which are the majority of live agent transfers, call center agents place outbound calls to lists identified as consumers with potential intent for a product or service. Through lengthy conversations, agents qualify leads to confirm interest and match consumers to offers for which they are likely to convert. Agents also confirm consumers have time to continue the conversation before transfers are completed. Because of the time invested by the agent prior to the transfer, live agent transfers can result in high conversion rates.

    Live agent transfers are also called warm transfers and hot transfers.

    5. Do I need different scripts for different types of inbound calls?

    different scripts for different types of inbound calls

    Pay-per-call best practices encourage different scripts for different types of inbound calls. The scripts should map to the experience of the consumer prior to the call being placed. Call center agents should understand the creative that was seen by consumers for consumer-initiated inbound calls, and they should be familiar with the script used by the prior call center agent for live agent transfers.

    For many pay-per-call leads, advertisers are only charged if calls last a specific duration of time. Interactive voice responders (IVRs) can be used to help immediately disqualify calls that don’t match conversion objectives while getting interested parties to appropriate call center representatives quickly. Likewise, a short and concise script with early knockout questions can assist with quick qualification.

    Are you in the process of optimizing your pay-per-call lead generation strategy?

    The team at Digital Media Solutions (DMS) loves helping marketers improve contact and conversion rates by driving inbound calls to their call center teams. Contact DMS today to take your pay-per-call lead generation to the next level.

    Contact DMS
    • Previous Article

      Why Joey Liner, Former DoublePositive Co-Founder & CEO, Became The New CRO For DMS

      Why Joey Liner, Former DoublePositive Co-Founder & CEO, Became The New CRO For DMS

      Joey Liner co-founded one of the most successful performance marketing companies in the business in the early 2000s and now he’s decided to join DMS as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer.

    • Next Article

      866 Million Pieces Of Facebook Content + 583 Fake Facebook Accounts Removed

      866 Million Pieces Of Facebook Content + 583 Fake Facebook Accounts Removed

      From fake accounts to hate speech and spam, Facebook is cracking down and sharing their results with their first-ever community standards enforcement report.

    Most Recent Articles

    • 4 Tips To Help Set Up Inbound Call Campaigns For Long-Term Success

      4 Tips To Help Set Up Inbound Call Campaigns For Long-Term Success

      Careful planning is needed both on the advertiser and publisher sides for a call campaign to perform well. These four tips can help you set up inbound call campaigns for long-term success.

      Read Article

    • 3 Top Lead Generation Best Practices To Scale Your Business

      3 Top Lead Generation Best Practices To Scale Your Business

      Set lead generation campaigns up for success by deploying best practices and optimizations.

      Read Article

    • What Is The Latest News On Apple And Push Notifications?
      10 months ago

      What Is The Latest News On Apple And Push Notifications?

      At this year’s annual WWDC, Apple announced that beginning in 2023, iOS 16 will support web push notifications.

      Read Article

    •  8 Email Subject Line Strategies That Can Help Drive Up Open Rates

      8 Email Subject Line Strategies That Can Help Drive Up Open Rates

      Subject lines represent a make-it or break-it opportunity to get email opened.

      Read Article

    • 4 Often Overlooked Ways To Address Email Inboxing Challenges

      4 Often Overlooked Ways To Address Email Inboxing Challenges

      While there are technical aspects to making sure an email message gets to its intended destination, it’s important to always keep the consumer top of mind.

      Read Article

    • 5 Ways To Manage Customer Acquisition Challenges

      5 Ways To Manage Customer Acquisition Challenges

      Customer acquisition challenges are universal, but finding the right solutions shouldn’t be hard. Here’s a look at 5 ways to overcome your customer acquisition challenges & drive the results you need.

      Read Article

    • What Is Happening With The Twitter Purchase?
      11 months ago

      What Is Happening With The Twitter Purchase?

      Elon Musk is taking over Twitter. Now what? Here’s what you need to know about the sale of Twitter and how you can proceed confidently on the social media platform.

      Read Article

    • 6 Ways To Create A Successful TikTok Marketing Strategy

      6 Ways To Create A Successful TikTok Marketing Strategy

      A successful TikTok marketing strategy is important in 2022, but advertisers don’t have to do it alone.

      Read Article

    • Tax Prep Advertising Can Use The Lessons of 2022 To Better Target Audiences In 2023

      Tax Prep Advertising Can Use The Lessons of 2022 To Better Target Audiences In 2023

      The DMS Tax Preparation Survey offers clues for tax preparation advertisers who want to reach consumers with relevant messaging, when and where they are shopping.

      Read Article

    • 3 Strategies To Modernize Lead Generation Campaigns

      3 Strategies To Modernize Lead Generation Campaigns

      Brands can modernize their lead generation strategies with versatile creative, customized plans and personalized re-engagement.

      Read Article

    • What Is A Publisher?

      What Is A Publisher?

      Do you want to understand the best way to reach the right people with the right messages at the right time? Consider partnering with publishers.

      Read Article

    • How To Boost Engagement By Using Video In Emails

      How To Boost Engagement By Using Video In Emails

      Video advertising within email is gaining momentum with brands, aligning with the overall growth of video in advertising.

      Read Article

    • It's Okay To Believe Advertising IRL > Metaverse
      11 months ago

      It's Okay To Believe Advertising IRL > Metaverse

      Metaverse marketing is likely to be a part of future strategies for brands & businesses, but many are taking a “wait and see” approach while relying on the “tried & true,” like performance marketing.

      Read Article

    • Tax Season Marketing Should Target Americans Filing Their Taxes Early To Pay Off Holiday Debt
      about 1 year ago

      Tax Season Marketing Should Target Americans Filing Their Taxes Early To Pay Off Holiday Debt

      Filing taxes early to get refunds is the top way Americans are planning to deal with holiday overspending.

      Read Article

    • Valentine’s Day Advertising Must Reach Shoppers Ready To Take Action
      about 1 year ago

      Valentine’s Day Advertising Must Reach Shoppers Ready To Take Action

      Valentine’s Day is a time for ecommerce brands to reach consumers in the mood for love – and shopping. DMS surveyed 250 adults in January and found that gift giving has extended beyond just couples.

      Read Article

    • Post-Holiday Personal Finance Marketing: What Converts Based On A Recent Consumer Survey
      about 1 year ago

      Post-Holiday Personal Finance Marketing: What Converts Based On A Recent Consumer Survey

      71% of Americans believe they possibly overspent during the holidays. The brands that best engage borrowers by demonstrating how their solutions will deliver quick relief are likely to see success.

      Read Article

    • What Are Data Signals?

      What Are Data Signals?

      Real-time data signals can pinpoint the individual consumers most likely to respond to your advertising when they are ready to take action.

      Read Article

    • The Top 5 Social Media Strategies For Lead Generation

      The Top 5 Social Media Strategies For Lead Generation

      These best practices can help advertisers set up social media campaigns that successfully generate leads while creating ongoing engagement.

      Read Article

    • What Is Real-Time Data?

      What Is Real-Time Data?

      Quality, real-time data helps understand consumer desires and predict future actions, allowing advertisers to get the right message in front of the right person at the right time to encourage action.

      Read Article

    • Consumers Start Holiday Product Searches On Google – Make Sure You Are Easy To Find
      over 1 year ago

      Consumers Start Holiday Product Searches On Google – Make Sure You Are Easy To Find

      To connect with consumers during the early phases of their holiday shopping, advertisers need to make sure their brands are easily discoverable in multiple places on Google.

      Read Article

    Return to Home
    DMS Logo

    Tech-Enabled, Data-Based Performance Advertising

    facebook icon twitter icon linkedin icon instagram icon

    © 2021 Digital Media Solutions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Digital Media Solutions and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Media Solutions, LLC. All other company and product names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

    Digital Performance Advertising

    linkedin icon
    facebook icon
    twitter icon
    instagram icon

    Subscribe To News From DMS


    About DMS
    Toolset Solutions DMS Insurance DMS Performance Ad Market DMS Ecommerce Advertising DMS Consumer Finance DMS Education DMS Managed Services DMS Nonprofit Advertising DMS Subscription Advertising Newsroom DMS Insights Investor Info
    Contact Us
    (877) 236-8632 connect@DMSgroup.com Careers Become A DMS Advertiser Become A DMS Publisher
    DMS Proprietary Technology
    Aimtell Sparkroom ZipQuote
    Logins
    Aimtell Login DMS Exchange Login DMS Performance Ad Market Publisher Login Sparkroom Login ZipQuote Agent Login
    Privacy & Terms
    Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Code of Conduct

    © 2022 Digital Media Solutions®, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Digital Media Solutions and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Media Solutions, Inc. All other company and product names referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.