Direct Marketing Method

Direct Marketing is the practice of marketing products or services directly to consumers. This is a more personalized approach than traditional "mass" marketing where consumers receive the same message through mass media, such as broadcast television, radio and newspapers. Direct Marketing allows businesses and non-profit organizations to contact you directly about products, services or causes that might interest you. For Direct Marketing to be effective, it is important to first identify which groups of consumers should be contacted before the marketer contacts the consumer directly. Marketers do not search out specific people, but rather, groups of people that share common interests and characteristics.

Direct marketing is about making direct contact with existing and potential customers to promote your products or services. Unlike media advertising, it enables you to target particular people with a personalized message. Direct marketing can be cost effective and extremely powerful at generating sales, so it is ideal for small businesses.

Direct marketing allows you to generate a response from targeted customers. As a result, small businesses can focus their limited marketing resources where they are most likely to get results.

A direct marketing campaign with a clear call to action can help you boost your sales to existing customers, increase customer loyalty, recapture old customers and generate new business.

Direct marketing can be evaluated and measured precisely. You can analyse results to see which target group was most responsive. You can also test your marketing with sample groups before you roll out the campaign that will deliver the best response rate.

 

Types of Direct Marketing

Direct Mail
You may already be familiar with many types of Direct Marketing delivered through the mail, including catalogs, credit card offers, flyers from local businesses, local restaurant menus, pizzeria coupons, a brochure about the new dentist in town and free trial deals.

Telephone
Often referred to as telemarketing, companies and non-profit organizations may contact you by telephone to sell their products or services, or get support for their causes. For example, a travel company may call you to offer a vacation package.

Email
If you have provided a company with your email address (perhaps you signed up for email newsletters or purchased their products on the internet), the company may send you email advertisements for new products or services, or other offers of interest.

Internet Banner Advertising
While browsing the internet, you will see banner (or "display") advertising. For example, if you read the news online, you may see an advertisement at the top or side of the website. This type of advertising – known as Internet Banner Advertising – can be compared to billboards along the side of a road. As you drive down the freeway, you will see billboards advertising products and services. Similarly, as you browse the internet, you will see ads marketing products and services. Technology enables companies to show you ads that you, particularly, may find interesting, so that you click on the ad, seek additional information or make a purchase. If you have been searching for hotel rooms in New York City, the next time you're reading the news online or browsing the Internet, you may see an advertisement for a New York City hotel, and not a hotel in Los Angeles