Brand Your Business with Vanity 800 Numbers

While most business owners are aware that vanity 800 numbers can be great ways to make their telephone numbers more memorable to the public, they are often unsure of the other benefits. In fact, these numbers are great ways for businesses to brand themselves and make an impact on consumers.

Choosing Phrases
The difference between vanity 800 numbers and standard toll free numbers is that vanity numbers use alphanumeric characters to spell a word or phrase. Businesses will have seven letters and numbers from which to choose, so this can make using the actual business name as part of the telephone number very difficult. Also, since toll free numbers are so common these days, many of the clever vanity numbers are already in use. So, in order to ensure that businesses have the best number possible for branding purposes, they should choose keywords that emphasize the products or services that are being offered.

How to Brand with Vanity Numbers
The first step in branding a business with a toll free vanity number involves ensuring that the phrase chosen is relative to the business. This phrase may be descriptive or clever, but it must be memorable. For instance, if the business is a bakery, something like 1-866-EAT-CAKE may be a great choice. It sounds silly, but people who see this telephone number in advertisements will likely remember it. Similarly, a business that specializes in the retail sale of clothing may choose a number that reflects their industry or their trademark clothing item, such as 1-800-JEANS4U. Either way, choosing a telephone number wisely makes all the difference.

Getting Started
Before business owners become overly concerned about the availability of vanity 800 numbers, they should first brainstorm a list of all of the different benefits, products and services that their company offers. Next, once the list has been compiled, they should pick out the ones that are seven letters or less in length—anything less than seven numbers can easily be filled in with numbers. Finally, once the business owner has compiled a list of at least five different numbers that would be suitable, they can check with their provider to determine which of those numbers are available.

Making an Impact
In order for the selected vanity number to actually help with branding the company, business owners must use effective marketing strategies to get the number into the minds of the public. Some of the most common ways in which this is done include the use of billboards, business cards, direct mailers, flyers and website ads. Each time a consumer sees the number—particularly if it is paired with a striking visual image—it is helping to ingrain the number into their mind. This way, when they are in need of the product or service that the company provides, they are more likely to dial the memorized number than to take the time searching the Yellow Pages or other sources.

Branding a business with 800 vanity numbers is typically inexpensive but still very effective. With the right phrase and plenty of advertisement, businesses will almost certainly get more attention than ever before.