How marketers use call tracking to win: from blind spots to better decisions

By Madelyn Sullivan
14 Jan 2026

10+ min read

Call tracking for marketers has become essential as customer journeys grow more complex. Clicks and form fills still matter, but they only tell part of the story.

For many teams, the most valuable interactions happen on the phone. Yet without call tracking, those conversations are invisible. As a result, pipeline is underreported, ROI is harder to prove, and marketing budgets are harder to defend - which is why call tracking for marketers is becoming essential.

This blog explores how marketers use call tracking to close those gaps. You’ll see the key uses for call tracking, real examples from leading brands, and how tools like Infinity help teams make better decisions with confidence.

Why call tracking for marketers matters more than ever

Customer journeys no longer follow a straight line. Prospects research online, compare options, then call when intent is high.

Without call tracking:

Attribution breaks down
Media performance looks weaker than it really is
Optimization decisions rely on assumptions

On the other hand, when calls are tracked properly, marketers gain a complete view of performance. They can connect conversations to campaigns, outcomes, and revenue. As a result, marketing impact becomes clear.

Use 1: Call tracking for accurate attribution across channels

One of the most valuable uses for call tracking is attribution. Phone calls often sit outside analytics platforms, which creates blind spots.

Call tracking solves this by:

Linking calls to channels, keywords, and campaigns
Connecting online journeys to offline outcomes
Feeding call data into analytics, bidding, and CRM tools

For example, Motorpoint used Infinity to accurately attribute every inbound call. This gave their marketing team full visibility into what was driving pipeline and revenue. Consequently, they could report with confidence and defend investment.

With Smart Match, Infinity connects calls back to the full digital journey, ensuring attribution is complete, not partial.

100% of calls accurately attributed

By working with Infinity, the Motorpoint marketing team has been able to eliminate all attribution blind spots. The Infinity call tracking solution also paints a clear picture of the end-to-end customer journey.

Results:

34% increase in leads from paid campaings

21% reduction in missed calls

100% of calls accurately attributed

“Infinity offers a highly technical solution and with a product offering that is always evolving, it’s an absolute testament to the quality of the product and the efficiency of the team

Alex Howland

Digital Marketing Director, Motorpoint

Read the full case study

Use 2: Using call tracking to optimise media spend

Another powerful use for call tracking is media optimization. Clicks alone don’t show intent. Calls do.

By using call outcomes as optimisation signals, marketers can:

Focus spend on high-intent activity
Reduce wasted budget
Improve ROMI across paid channels

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines used Infinity’s Smart Outcomes to optimise PPC campaigns based on call quality, not just volume. As a result, they improved efficiency and focused spend on activity that genuinely drove bookings.

This approach helps marketers do more with less, especially when budgets are under pressure.

Free resource

Ultimate guide to paid media optimisation

Use 3: Call tracking for proving pipeline contribution and ROMI

Proving marketing’s contribution to pipeline is a persistent challenge - a key reason call tracking for marketers is so valuable. Calls often represent the final step before conversion. Yet without tracking, their value is missed.

Call tracking helps marketers:

Connect calls to pipeline and revenue
Strengthen ROMI reporting
Secure and protect marketing budget

When call-driven conversions are visible, ROI becomes easier to justify. Therefore, conversations shift from defending spend to scaling what works.

Use 4: Improving conversion rates with call insights

Call tracking isn’t just about attribution. It’s also about insight.

With Conversation Analytics, marketers can understand:

Why calls don’t convert
Where friction appears in conversations
Which messages resonate most

Pendragon used call insights to identify friction during sales calls. By addressing these issues, they improved conversion outcomes without increasing media spend.

This shows how first-party call data directly supports conversion rate optimisation.

Free resource

Marketer's guide to CRO: Insights from the experts

Use 5: Unlocking strategic customer insight with call data

Calls are rich sources of first-party insight. They reveal intent, objections, and unmet needs in customers’ own words.

Specsavers used call insights to refine targeting and messaging. As a result, they improved engagement and performance across campaigns.

For marketers, this insight supports smarter planning, stronger messaging, and better alignment with sales and CX teams.

59% boost in rate of PPC visits that lead to calls

By adding Conversation Analytics to their tech stack, Specsavers have been able to gain full visibility into campaign performance and, by focussing on driving desirable outcomes, optimize paid media activity.

Results:

59% boost in rate of PPC visits that led to calls

32% reduction in cost per acquisition

25% increase in home visit bookings from PPC

It’s been incredible to see the amount of data and insight we’ve been missing – the project has been hugely eye-opening.

Rachael Harker

Digital Performance Manager, Specsavers

Read the full case study