Key Takeaways
- Segment numbers by purpose. Assign a distinct number to each call reason or department. Numbers used for multiple purposes get flagged by analytics engines and receive mixed consumer feedback.
- Limit call frequency. Recipients tolerate up to two calls per day from the same calling party. Three or more calls per day increases the risk of blocking, reporting, and mislabeling.
- Keep numbers callable and consistent. Use real, dialable numbers people can call back, and maintain the same Calling Name and Call Context for the life of the number's assignment.
- Treat branded calling as one channel in a larger strategy. Pair branded calls with email and text, test different branding approaches, and use Premium Plan analytics to refine what works best.
What Drives Values in Branded Calling?
Enterprises get more value from INFORM® Branded Calling by segmenting phone numbers by use case, limiting call frequency to two calls per day per recipient, keeping calling names consistent with call context, and using branded calling as one channel within a broader communications strategy.
Branding a call shows the recipient who is calling and builds trust, but the value of that trust depends on disciplined number management and call behavior. Enterprises that follow best practices protect their number reputations, avoid spam and scam tagging, and see stronger answer rates and call durations.
Below find best practices to help you get the most out of your branded calling solution:
- Make sure and follow call behavior best practices (see practices below) to avoid tagging and help protect your reputation’s phone numbers.
- Use different numbers for different call reasons. Including a brief call reason helps people recognize your call, leading to more positive outcomes. Also, separating numbers by use case and call reasons allows you to monitor the results independently of each other.
- Make sure people can call you back on your calling numbers. Sometimes your regular calls will be more effective, but branded calling also persists to the called device’s call log and is a good reminder for people to return your call. Make sure when you place calls, people can call those numbers back.
- Be mindful of calling times, frequency, and total number of calls. Be intentional about when you call people, how often you call, and how many times you call each unique individual. Be a call people want to pick up. If you are on a Premium Plan, you have access to additional analytics to help you customize and refine your programs.
- Understand that Branded Calling is just one channel. Different people have different needs and will respond best to different communication channels. Branded calling is perfectly suited to be part of a full communications suite, including email and text.
- Consider testing similar programs with different branding to see what works best. When you are first setting up your calls, experiment and see what works and what doesn’t.
Calling Behavior Best Practices:
Number reputation isn't fixed once and forgotten. It's shaped by how a business places calls day to day. These ten calling behavior best practices show enterprises exactly what carriers and consumers look for, and how to protect a number's legitimacy with every call.
- Do not use one main calling telephone number for multiple uses. Outbound numbers used for multiple purposes tend to get flagged by analytics engines and receive mixed feedback from consumers. For example, a telephone number used for marketing should not be used by other departments for other subjects. By segmenting telephone numbers by purpose or subject, enterprises can improve the legitimacy of their numbers.
- Avoid excessive calling to the same call recipient. Review the number of times a particular user is called across all outbound calling campaigns from the same calling party in a short amount of time. Call recipients are generally tolerant of receiving two calls per day from the same calling party. However, when call frequency increases to three or more per day, user tolerance drops significantly, and recipients may begin to block numbers or report them, leading to potential mislabeling, including being tagged as spam or scam.
- Ensure users expect a call. Review the methods used to opt users into outbound calling campaigns to ensure they are clear and consistent. Ensure that users understand they should expect a call from the calling party and that the calls will be placed within 90 days of the user opting in to be contacted.
- Respect users’ requests not to be contacted. Comply with Do Not Call lists, other TCPA requirements, and user requests not to contact and provide a number/contact information that called parties can use to prosecute or report any alleged violations of law.
- Provide a consistent, real, and user-dialable telephone number with every call you make. Calls from a calling party number that is invalid or not assigned to the caller are more likely to be flagged, increasing the risk of mislabeling, including being tagged as spam or scam, and may potentially be blocked.
- Provide a consistent Calling Name that matches context. Displaying an accurate and consistent Caller Name gives customers more confidence knowing who is calling and helps them make the decision to answer the call.
- Align context and content of calls for the duration of the number’s assignment. Consistently using the same number for the same purpose results in a more accurate reputation. Keep your numbers to a single subject (department) use to avoid being tagged as a robocall.
- Document normal calling patterns. When launching a new call campaign, use a number that is compliant and known. This will aid analytics and service providers to designate the number as legitimate and not a number that’s being spoofed. Avoid unusual spikes in traffic volumes and follow and document expected and normative call pattern description.
- Don’t use a pre-recorded message for lead prospecting calls. Use a live person on the call. Calls that rely on pre-recorded messages for lead prospecting are generally not well received and are more likely to be reported, resulting in potential mislabeling, including being tagged as spam or scam.
- Don’t call unassigned numbers frequently. Know your customers and their current numbers. Frequent calls to unassigned numbers become a red flag and mirrors a technique that bad actors use by dialing random numbers looking for unsuspecting consumers.
Get More from Every Branded Call
Enterprises that build these practices into their outbound calling programs protect their number reputations and see stronger engagement across every campaign. Contact us for more information on how INFORM Branded Calling can help your enterprise implement these best practices and get more value from every call you place.
Take the Next Step with Branded Messaging
ENRICH® Branded Messaging powered by RCS is the next step in building trusted customer communications. ENRICH Branded Messaging helps businesses reach customers with two-way RCS conversations — verified and protected through a trusted sender identity. Learn more.
The Solutions Behind Every Trusted Connection
From small businesses to global enterprises, First Orion helps you increase answer rates, verify identity, and build customer trust and transparency.
INFORM® Branded Calling - Show your business name, logo, and reason for call so more customers answer with confidence.
ENRICH® Branded Messaging – Deliver personalized, secure RCS messaging with verified sender identity and rich media.
AFFIRM® Reputation Monitoring - Monitor how your outbound calls appear and catch labeling discrepancies fast.
SENTRY® Call Blocking - Block bad actors from spoofing your numbers, protecting trust with your customers.
PROTECT+ Risk Detection - Detect suspicious inbound call activity in real time with intelligent risk analysis.
Related Resources:
How to measure the success of INFORM Branded Calling
What First Orion’s survey reveals about the real cost of missed calls
How small businesses can take control of their caller ID
Businesses are thriving with branded calling. Here’s their playbook.
