Since the early 1900s, companies have used phone technology to reach out to potential customers. Steel and financial services companies in the early days of the last century used the brand-new telephone device to find new customers and maintain existing ones.
It wasn’t until the 1980s, however, that modern phone marketing as we know it came into being.
The first call centers were established in the 1970s as telephones became more sophisticated, and by 1981, total business expenditures for phone marketing were greater than total expenditures for direct mail marketing, for the first time ever.
Phone marketing grew throughout the 1980s due to a variety of factors. For example, customers grew used to 800 numbers for inbound marketing, and advances in telecommunications, databases and computers vastly decreased costs.
By the mid-1990s, the American Telephone Association estimated that phone marketing generated over $280 billion in sales to more than 81 million Americans. By the early 2000s, almost all companies had toll-free 800 numbers set up for inbound marketing.
Cell phones have led to further advances in phone marketing. For example, they have made it possible for marketers to send text-message ads and place ads within apps on mobile devices.
Today, mobile phones make it possible for marketers to analyze which search queries, content and ads motivate consumers to make phone calls, leading to a more refined and nuanced marketing approach.
Vaspian’s innovative and reliable cloud-based phone systems are the perfect phone marketing tool for any business, large or small. Call 1-855-VASPIAN to find out more about what Vaspian can do for your latest marketing campaign!
