Use Cases For Vanity Phone Numbers

Companies of all sizes, across almost every industry use vanity phone numbers to help tackle day-to-day challenges in operating their businesses. The possibilities for these customized all-in-one marketing solutions are limited only by your creative marketing prowess. Whatever your branding goals are, a vanity phone number is an opportunity to start connecting with your target audience in a more impactful way.

What is a vanity phone number?

Vanity phone numbers are everywhere–even if you’ve never heard the term “vanity number,” in all likelihood, you’ve seen them on billboards, TV commercials, bus stops, socials, or heard them on the radio. 

A vanity number is a custom phone number–designed to be memorable for dialers, they often spell out words on a keypad. Ringing a bell? Maybe you’ve heard of 1-800-GOT-JUNK or 1-800-GO-FED-EX. But vanity numbers don’t have to be words, they can also use patterns and repeating numbers to be user-friendly and memorable.

What are the benefits of a vanity number for your business?

As marketing assets, vanity numbers are low cost investments that can produce big results (like enabling word-of-mouth referrals)–helping to optimize your advertising spend and generating more business per dollar spent.

In a world where branding is everything, using a custom, industry-specific phone number reinforces your brand personality as part of a larger marketing strategy. Because consumers will always call a memorable number over one they can’t remember, vanity numbers are a great way to improve advertising response rates. 

Why phone numbers are still effective marketing tools

In a digital world, the telephone is only one of the many options that customers have for connecting with your business. Despite the leaps in innovation that modern communications offers, a simple phone call remains one of the most meaningful ways to make a connection across almost every industry. What makes a call is the most effective way to engage customers? 

While emails and text messages might be the more convenient form of exchanging information, their ability to tackle complexities head on is limited. Selling the finer points of a complex service or product, for example, requires a high level of engagement. The immediacy and conveyed emotion of a spoken phone conversation is second only to an IRL face-to-face.

This isn’t to say that phone calls should be prioritized at the expense of more modern channels of communication, but it is important to recognize that providing an omnichannel means for engaging with your brand gives customers a more satisfactory experience, no matter the context.

Use cases for vanity numbers

In this post, we’ll highlight some of the best, tried and true applications for reaching your business and branding goals with a custom phone number.

Real estate

Walking around your local neighborhood, you may see several “For Sale” signs–each with its own set of information to differentiate and remember. You might notice that the ones that stand out are the ones with the ‘personal touch’ that is at the core of a successful agent’s marketing strategy. The realty sector thrives on being ‘seen’ in local advertising.

Adding a custom phone number to your marketing materials is a simple and affordable way to increase brand awareness, generate more leads and ultimately grow your business.

A realtor might consider upgrading to a memorable new vanity number like:

• 1-406-NEW-HOME 
• 1-313-MOVE-NOW
• 1-214-BUY-HOME

Home Services

For busy home improvement professionals on the move, a phone call is often the most efficient contact method for doing business and giving quotes sights unseen. Adopting a memorable number for your business line encourages customers to dial in for service, especially if that number doubles as a call-to-action. 

A phone number customized to reflect what you do will reach your target audience better than a traditional number, providing an immediate solution to urgent needs. When your roof is leaking or your pipes are jammed–who you gonna call? Staying at the top of customers’ minds keeps perspectives off the web which is a boon for both you and your client.

Some memorable home services vanity number ideas include:

• 1-800-PLUMBER
• 1-480-GO-SOLAR
• 1-407-POOL-GAL
• 1-212-NO-GHOST

Food delivery

Gone are the days where word-of-mouth and door-to-door menu drops could make your eatery the go-to when the time came to call in an order. Delivery apps have heightened customers’ expectations of convenience, often at too high a cost to the restaurant’s bottom line. 

With so many options on the menu, giving your brand a boost with a custom phone number is a must for attracting and retaining new customers. Making your restaurant easy to reach with a memorable number not only helps minimize profit loss to 3rd party delivery apps, it gives you access to a broader audience than an online presence alone.

Here are some examples of great food delivery vanity phone numbers::

• 1-767-TAKE-OUT
• 1-510-PIZZA-2-U
• 1-212-NY-SLICE

Cannabis industry

As a cannabis professional in a green state, you’re well aware that standing out in a “sea of green” is crucial to the lasting success of your venture. From retailers looking to build a robust customer base, to entrepreneurs launching into the budding canna-tourism sector, a vanity phone number is an easy way to differentiate your brand from the rest. 

A recognizable custom phone number catches the attention of your target audience, giving them a convenient way to connect with your services. Awareness is the crucial first step down the brand funnel to establishing brand preference. Sky high’s the limit for fun, engaging ganja-fied vanity numbers.

Here are just a few ideas of weed phone numbers that could elevate your brand better than a random set of digits:

• 1-800-CANNABIS
• 1-415-GANJA-4-U
• 1-818-GOT-KUSH
• 1-800-420-TOUR



Legal industry

Vanity numbers are a common practice in the legal field. That’s because they work. A well-placed vanity number can make a connection with target audiences, improving response rates on advertising for law practices of all sizes. 

Clients don’t typically need legal services when they first engage with ads, but a memorable, easy-to-use phone number ensures that a law firm remains at the top of mind for when they are needed. Many firms even employ multiple numbers to effectively track which channels generate the most calls.

Some fine examples of great legal vanity numbers are:

• 1-800-DUI-HELP
• 1-312-FIGHT-4-U
• 1-212-222-2222

Personal branding

A personalized phone number can help connect you to your audience whether or not you have a separate business entity. If your job title falls somewhere along the lines of influencer, artist, musician or if you’re self-employed, using a customized phone number can be an excellent way to promote yourself.

The benefits a vanity number can provide are versatile as your career path, but the most important one is that it will help you stand out from the crowd. Your own custom phone number can provide a memorable networking tool and even boost your resume visibility. A vanity number is also a great way to encourage engagement with fans, giving them a ‘direct’ line to you for communication.

How to get a vanity phone number

Acquiring a custom phone is easier than you might think, and can be accomplished by almost anyone in just a few simple steps.

1. Search: A large, browseable, searchable inventory of phone numbers will expedite your search process. Be sure to come up with some good back-up options, in case your first choice vanity phone number isn’t available. 

2. Purchase: Once you’ve picked a new phone number, purchasing it is a cinch. Check out through a secure online portal. All you need is your preferred method of payment. 

3. Activate: No special technical know-how is required to set-up a new phone number. You just have to decide how you want to start using it. There are three options:

• Port - This means moving it to your carrier from the one where it currently sits. You’ll receive instructions on how to initiate the transfer upon purchase. Rest assured, your phone carrier does all the heavy lifting, but it can take a few days–so plan accordingly.
• Park - This option places your number in inactive status, but lets you hold on to it for whenever you’re ready to upgrade to your new phone number.
• Pick a call-forwarding plan - Call forwarding routes calls placed to your custom number to whatever active line you’ve supplied. Call forwarding plans are instant activation and can be used temporarily while you wait for a number to be ported.

Should any technical or strategic questions arise at any point in the process, expert concierge support is readily available. RingBoost’s veteran team of industry professionals can be conveniently reached via your preferred channel, so you can meet your marketing goals as simply and efficiently as possible.

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