A positive consumer journey is the first step in building a loyal brand customer. In fact, the most important factor to a consumer becoming a customer in the first place is their initial experience with your brand. In 2024, this remains true, but the tools and technologies available to enhance this journey have significantly evolved.

Brands fight to protect their customer’s experience as best they can to limit the number of potential sales they lose and negative reviews they receive. Because of this, brands can be hesitant to work with affiliates that would manage the beginning stages of the consumer journey. However, the right affiliates, armed with modern technology and practices, can actually improve the consumer’s experience and convert consumers who might not have considered the brand otherwise.

Emerging Trends in Pay-Per-Call for 2024

In 2024, several emerging trends are reshaping the pay-per-call landscape:

• Integration of AI and Machine Learning: AI-powered tools are now commonly used to route calls efficiently, provide immediate assistance, and enhance the quality of consumer interactions.
• Advanced Call Tracking and Analytics: New advancements in call tracking and analytics offer brands deeper insights into the consumer journey, allowing for more tailored and effective marketing strategies.
• Dynamic APIs: With AI agents now involved in front-end call handling, information can be passed to live agents prior to connection, allowing for fewer repeat questions and less agent involvement.

The basic affiliate consumer journey

There are many different paths a consumer can take when they go through an affiliate. At its most basic, the consumer journey would look something like this:

1. Consumer needs a service
2. Consumer finds affiliate and decides to get in touch
3. Affiliate directs the consumer to the brand
4. Consumer interacts with the brand and evaluates the brand’s service

However, the consumer journey will look different based on the particular affiliate’s program and whether they operate on a pay-per-click, pay-per-call, or pay-per-sale model.

Read more: Why Use Affiliate Marketing

Common consumer journeys in pay-per-call

Pay-per-call is a performance marketing model known for its high return on ad spend (ROAS). Pay-per-call affiliates get paid for every qualified call that lasts a predetermined duration. Service-based businesses choose pay-per-call when they want high-intent phone calls from consumers who are ready to buy.

Here are three common consumer journeys with pay-per-call affiliates:

Inbound Pay-Per-Call consumer Journey

1. Consumer needs a service
2. Consumer finds affiliate
3. Consumers decides to call a tracking number the affiliate promotes
4. The tracking number connects the consumer directly to the brand’s call center
5. Consumer talks with the brand’s sales rep and evaluates the brand’s service

Transfer Pay-Per-Call consumer journey

1. Consumer needs a service
2. Consumer finds affiliate
3. Consumer decides to call the affiliate’s phone number
4. The consumer reaches the affiliate’s call center
5. Consumer talks with the affiliate call center rep and answers their qualifying questions
6. The rep transfers qualified calls to the appropriate brand’s call center

Outbound Pay-Per-Call consumer journey

1. Consumer needs a service
2. Consumer finds affiliate
3. Consumers fills out the affiliate’s form with their contact information
4. The affiliate uses the consumer’s contact information to reach out, either through SMS, AI chat, or phone call (best practice is to reach out a maximum of three times)
5. Consumer talks with the affiliate call center rep and answers their qualifying questions
6. The rep transfers qualified calls to the appropriate brand’s call center

Why We Prefer Inbounds

We believe the inbound call model provides the smoothest consumer journey. It connects consumers directly to the service provider they need without too many touchpoints. It also greatly limits the number of times a consumer is bothered by third-party businesses looking to upsell or cross-sell them.

Inbounds provide consumers with all they want for a smooth consumer journey:

• Less spam – the consumer is in contact with the brand fewer times, making the journey much smoother and limiting the risk that the brand or affiliate will annoy the consumer with repeated contact points.
• Contact on their own terms – the consumer is the one initiating the phone call, so they get to control their experience.
• Quick service – with inbound phone calls, the consumer is helped immediately. They don’t have to wait for someone to get back to them.

From the brand’s perspective, inbound calls also greatly limit compliance concerns since consumer-initiated phone calls don’t require written consent (outbound calls are regulated by laws such as the TSR and TCPA).

Addressing Brand Concerns with Pay-Per-Call Affiliates

Brands may worry about losing control over the consumer journey when working with affiliates. However, with the right strategies and monitoring, these concerns can be mitigated:

• Regulations and Industry Standards: Staying updated with the latest regulations and industry standards ensures compliance and quality control.
• Monitoring and Quality Assurance: Regular monitoring and evaluation of affiliate performance can help maintain high standards.
• Successful Partnerships: Numerous brands have successfully partnered with affiliates, leading to improved consumer journeys and increased loyalty. Highlighting these partnerships can provide reassurance.

Conclusion

In 2024, providing a smooth consumer journey through pay-per-call remains a powerful strategy.

Affiliates can add great value to a brand’s lead generation efforts. They can reach consumers brands cannot, target specific consumer segments, and drive additional traffic through their unique sources. And with the right affiliate, consumers have a smooth journey to getting the services they need, and they get one step closer to becoming a loyal brand customer.