Direct Response Marketing is a truly advanced way of marketing your business. Unfortunately it is often dismissed as antiquated because this form of marketing has been around for well over 100 years. However, if you take these fundamentals and then tie it all into the web and online automation, then you have put Direct Response Marketing into high gear.
The World Wide Web should only be viewed as just another medium where marketers can strut their stuff. Take the power of the internet and combine it with call tracking, customizing Direct Mail, and the ability to segment a database – you have Marketing POWER in a truly advanced way.
How Direct Marketing in Today’s World Works
One example of the way direct marketing works is; assume that a person purchases cat food with their points credit card or uses their Air Miles card at checkout. Their name and purchase is stored into their points card database. This information is quickly shared with a bunch of marketing companies who are paying for the information. This is considered a HOT lead. The person is labeled as a cat owner and within a very short period of time the consumer will receive some form of direct communication. It might be an email or postcard in the mail with a cat related product. Perhaps an offer for an info product like “How to Train your Cat to Use the Toilet” or more cat food advertisements and sale notifications.
There will be continued marketing with follow up postcards, flyers, and emails. Niche driven offers that are targeted to what the consumer (you) has self-identified as the specific products of interest. If you then purchase one of the products direct marketed to you, your value as a lead goes up. Your name and information is re-sold for more money and on it goes. If you don’t make a purchase from these mailers, your information eventually moves onto a “B” list and remains there until the next time you use your card. Even on a “B” list your information will be sold over and over but worth far less than it was.
Using the Autoresponder with Direct Marketing Methods
The birth of the Autoresponder is an incredibly powerful tool. Now integrated with the internet the autoresponder can manage both physical and digital direct marketing needs. It can be scheduled to Email, text, mail postcards, DVD’s, newsletters, etc.
Automation does cost more and you have to weight this against your ROI. Just starting out with Direct Marketing you might want to wait before adding automation to your marketing plan. Yes it is much faster but if you don’t have a winning promotion already tried and tested, you might
New and small local businesses can easily combine all types of paid advertising with direct response marketing. Keeping track of all your results will help to decide where your time and money is best spent.
