The Rural Stops: Direct Response Marketing Basics

Using direct response marketing is a technique that many businesses utilize at some point in an attempt to increase sales. The basic purpose of this marketing strategy is that it attempts to get customers to engage in some immediate response. With traditional marketing techniques, companies are more concerned with building brand image and brand awareness to influence future purchasing decisions. With direct response, companies want consumers to buy or do something else immediately upon seeing the marketing material.

Infomercials

Infomercials are one of the most common examples of direct response advertising and they can be effective. With an infomercial, a product seller devotes an entire show to promoting the benefits of a product. A spokesperson is used to show off the product and tell consumers why they need to buy it as soon as possible. Typically, a toll-free phone number or a website is offered to potential customers. Throughout the infomercial, the spokesperson is asking customers to call immediately and order. This type of marketing is what direct response efforts are all about.

Direct Mail

Another direct response method of promoting a product is using direct mail. With direct mail, businesses send out postcards or letters to a large number of households in a specific area. When using this approach, the idea is to use a numbers game to get a marketing message in front of as many people as possible. Direct mail can be very effective when the right promotions are used to get customer's attention.

Radio Ads

Radio advertising is another method of direct advertising that companies sometimes use when promoting a product or service. Radio ads can be effective because they can reach a large number of people all at the same time. Demographic information can also be used by finding out what types of people listen to a particular radio station. This allows marketers to find a radio station that offers the best chance of accessing their target market for the product.

Testing Effectiveness

When using direct response sales strategies, it is important to continually monitor and test the effectiveness of the message. Some direct sales strategies are not very effective and this can result in wasted marketing money for a company. In some cases, a company can use a test market or a panel of potential customers to find out what they like about a particular advertising campaign. If a direct response campaign is set up and it does not work well in generating sales, the campaign must be adjusted accordingly. In some cases, a few changes to the advertising campaign will do the trick. In other cases, a complete overhaul of the campaign is required.

Considerations

Direct marketing can be very effective if used in the right context. However, not every product is best suited for direct response marketing. In some cases, a more subtle approach to marketing is required. For example, selling soap or deodorant through direct response may not work. To sell an item successfully through this method, it must be an item that can play on the emotions of the buyer. If the buyer does not want to own the item, it will most likely not sell very well through this method of promotion. In many cases, direct response strategies are based on impulse buys and the products must be well-suited to these methods to create a winning campaign.

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Jon McCulloch is Europe's leading direct response marketing specialist. Hit http://www.jonmcculloch.com now and grab his free email marketing resources. There is absolutely nothing to buy on his website - nothing but free small business marketing information and facts to help you expand your business.

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Source: http://ruralstops.blogspot.com/2012/03/direct-response-marketing-basics.html

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