“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (*made famous by Mark Twain)

Finding honest marketing advice can be very difficult in today’s world of want-to-be-SEO-gurus and “full-proof” schemes. Marketers will bolster their arguments with so-called facts that use overwhelming positive numbers like, “will increase your leads by 150%” or “volume will increase by up to 14 times.” The more insistent and overwhelming the statistics, the more skeptical you should be.

Keep in mind that just because a statistic is repeated does not make it true. It only makes the information sound more familiar. Companies are getting more and more creative about misrepresenting the truth. Remember that statistics should come from a third-party source that is not directly involved in the market. These third-party sources are often government, educational institutions or major non-profit publications.
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Here’s what to be wary of:

• Statistics that are not attributed to any specific source
• Statistics that a company produces internally based on only their clients – often called “case studies” in the very fine print
• Statistics that were produced by a company that owns or is directly affiliated with the company marketing to you
• Statistics that were compiled by a paid research company for the purpose of advertising and where the company actively participated in the creation of the survey
• Statistics that are critically outdated – If the article in question appeared next to one with the heading, “Are Modems Getting Faster?” then it’s probably not still relevant to marketing

If you have been researching vanity numbers online then you may have come across some misleading information. Vanity numbers truly represent a great value to a business, but marketers can be over zealous in their appeals. Unfortunately, a few bad names in business can ruin the public’s outlook.
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A Trusted Sourced

If you’re a personal injury attorney than you understand how one “ambulance chaser” can give everyone else a bad name. Similarly, too many vanity number providers will try to seduce customers with misleading or outdated stats. At 1-800-ATTORNEY we want to set ourselves apart, and give you information that you can be confident in.

Accurate information is hard to come by and data is constantly changing. In a world full of information we often want “proof” that something works, but the true value of a product cannot always be found in statistics.

What To Believe?d

*It’s Not 1996 Anymore

Don’t believe everything that you read. If you’re looking at investing in a vanity number consider what is best for your firm based on your internal marketing data. You know your business better than anyone else. Speak with colleagues to get insight into their experiences, and make an informed decision after looking at all the different angles. Never be afraid to ask tough questions. If a sales person feeds you a statistic, go ahead and ask them what the source of their information is. A company that you can trust will be honest with you.

A great vanity number that fits the needs of your firm can be an incredible asset. How incredible!