Direct Marketing Techniques Explained

An explanation of the two most common direct marketing techniques being used today (and how you might use them to further your own marketing objectives):

Technique #1 - Direct Response Email

This marketing technique is exactly what it sounds like. Here, the marketer sends an email (or series of emails) to a targeted list of prospects, with the hope of generating a direct response from some of the recipients. In most cases, the desired response is for the recipient to purchase something, or to contact the sender regarding some product or services.

Technique #2 - Direct Mail Postcards & Letters

Direct marketing gurus have been using letters and postcards to get their message across for several decades now -- practically as long as the Postal Service has been around. The goals here are similar to the goals of direct response emails, mentioned above. But the medium is obviously different. Direct mail is a proven marketing technique and has been for a long time.

What All Direct Marketing Techniques Have in Common

Regardless of the medium being used -- mail, email, Internet, etc. -- all direct marketing techniques have certain things in common.

For one thing, these techniques focus on a specific audience or niche. In direct marketing lingo, this is often referred to as the target audience or key prospects. These are the people the marketer wants to reach, based on a set of demographic criteria. Maybe the audience is made up of past customers, or people over 55 years old, or homeowners in a certain neighborhood. This target audience should be well defined, because you cannot speak to them effectively until you know a lot about them. This knowledge will help you improve response rates, no matter which direct marketing technique you choose.

The desired response is another key component that all direct marketing techniques have in common. For best results, you must identify a certain action that you want people to take -- a phone call, an information request, a direct purchase, etc. The entire direct marketing campaign will then be designed to encourage people to take this desired action.

A third component of any direct marketing techniques is the offer or incentive. This is what you offer your recipients as an incentive. The goal here is to motivate them to take the action you want them to take (the desired response), so you must offer something to make it worth their while to take that action. You see this all the time in direct marketing materials, as well as direct-response TV commercials ... "Act now and you will also get this free [whatever]" ... that sort of thing. The value of the offer to the target audience will directly influence the number of people who respond. This is why you must know your intended audience, and what things are most important to them.

Regardless of the direct marketing technique you choose to employ, you need to (A) identify your audience and know what will motivate them, (B) identify the action or desired response you want them to take, and (C) provide a strong enough offer to motivate them toward taking that action.

Good luck and good marketing!

-Brandon