Secure Connection

Lead data should be transferred in an encrypted format in order to comply with all laws and ensure the security and privacy of the data. Sending data over secure connection encryption at least 128-bit SSL encryption (through HTTPS web services, etc) is recommended.

Real-Time Lead Delivery

Lead data should be transferred in real-time. The amount of time that elapses between the prospective student submitting the request for information and that new lead record arriving in your CRM should be no more than a couple seconds. You can’t follow up on a hot lead if your provider is waiting until the end of the day to batch deliver them.

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In a day and age where ROI is becoming increasingly prevalent, finding ways to monitor campaign effectiveness at a more intricate level is crucial. Pay per call is one of those examples. There are several call tracking providers that offer this type of service, which allows companies to track phone leads real-time from specific advertising initiatives. By setting up a unique phone number(s) through one of these providers for each particular initiative (i.e. paid search, directory listings, etc.), a company is able to track real-time all inbound data – phone number, date and time of call, call duration, name, address, media source, and more. The calls will ring seamlessly into the customer’s business and allows users to view the detailed call reports online 24/7. Another unique feature is that most services also provide an audio recording of all inbound calls, which is especially helpful for companies that wish to monitor quality assurance and assist in customer acquisition and retention. Pay per call provides tangible evidence to substantiate the value of marketing initiatives and gets us closer to quantifying the effectiveness of our advertising dollars.

Pay per call has been especially interesting when it comes to search engine marketing. Previously, the emphasis has been on whether people make it to your web site, not what type of action they take once they get there. Pay per call provides an avenue to obtain more qualified leads. According to MediaPost Publications, “by allowing companies to track phone calls back to exact keywords, call tracking technology facilities a cost-per-lead model that delivers real-time leads to merchants in the form of a phone call, and creates a much more complete cost-per-lead analysis for online campaigns.”

Pay per call is an extremely valuable tool that helps companies make the most of their advertising dollars and I believe this is only the beginning of technological advances that will affect how companies track advertising campaigns and ROI in the future.

We are all very well aware that the online space would not be moving at the pace it is today without this remarkable tool called tracking. Tracking and accountability in the realm of online advertising is arguably the leading concept that has moved many advertisers (and traditional ad agency’s for that matter) into the space.

Accountability by one definition, is defined as “A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct.” This form of accountability has been taken to the next level at EDU Interactive.

Our proprietary “Lead to Acquisition” report tracks the amount of time it takes individual leads to progress through the multiple milestones that make up a schools unique enrollment process. By weighting and averaging this time variable for each lead/milestone combination, a complex algorithm is used to calculate an overall quality score. This quality score is then used to instantly and accurately measure the lead quality for every vendor/school combination.

From a media planning and buying perspective, this report has proven to not only allow us to create the most effective and efficient online lead generation campaigns, but has also increased enrollments and return-on-investment at each of the institutions we partner with. Just imagine, at a glance, we can understand the effectiveness of our campaigns by school, vendor, placement and/or date range for each of the particular milestones; thus producing results for our Clients promptly and punctually — just in time for classes to commence.