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Consumers see several hundred advertisements a day which means direct marketers need to cut through the noise., Usually on a tight budget. The direct response marketing tips below will help you gain a competitive advantage.
Traditional marketing channels include direct mail postcards and direct response advertising in trade magazines. Direct response marketers usually prefer internet marketing channels. The direct response marketing tips in this post can be used by internet direct response marketers and traditional direct response marketers. Use these tips for print and online marketing to create a powerful direct response marketing front.
Direct Response Marketing Tips
Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Successful businesses have a unique quality that sets them apart from the competition. Dominos guarantees fast delivery and offers free pizza if it is late. This is a USP.
Use your USP in your marketing communications material. Focus your products and services around your USP and use it to drive your marketing strategy. It might be extended hours, home deliveries, easy returns or innovative products.
Direct response advertising instead of institutional advertising
Institutional advertising is sometimes called image or brand building advertising. It’s expensive to produce and distribute. Institutional advertisements focus on delayed response and brand building. Direct response advertising helps drive sales in the following ways:
- Makes a case for your company and product
- Helps overcome sales objections and answers key questions about the company, product, or services.
- Can promise results with a money back guarantee or risk free trial
- Directs the target audience to a buying decision
Testing
Many business owners do not test their direct marketing messages. These include advertising copy, headline and sales presentation. To test direct mail, you might send out two to three different direct mail pieces with different headline messages copy or images. You can use analytics to find the highest performing Electronic Direct Message (EDM) and use that as part of your larger campaign.
Test your online marketing using the A/B split test which is similar to the direct response mail piece. This tests two or more different online advertisements or submission buttons to see which one is more engaging.
Build back-ends into your business
A back-end is a product or service that you can offer to follow up on a product or service that your customer has already purchased. For example, offer batteries if you sell torches. Offering back ends drives repeat business from pre-existing customers which drives profit.
Listen to your customers
Talk to your customers to learn about what they want. For instance, a local restaurant owner chatted to her lunch time customers and would observe what they liked and disliked to learn more about her customers’ preferences. You can only cater to your customers’ needs if you know what they like and want.
Simplify your ordering process
Allow your customers to place orders through several communication channels. They could include your website, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, printed direct mail, your website, email or toll free telephone number. Designate and train staff members to answer customer calls and guide them through the sales process. Your online ordering process should be easy. If it is too complex, you are sure to see a lot of abandoned shopping carts.
Educate your customers or prospects
A good direct marketing campaign will educate your customers about your products and services. Explain why you are offering a discount, an introductory price or a special offer. This will boost your credibility and reduce any customer mistrust.
Don’t throw the towel in
Don’t cut your marketing campaign short if you don’t see immediate results. You may not be hitting your forecasted results. Reassess your situation before you throw in the towel. You might not have given your campaign enough time, or you may not have tested your message thoroughly enough. Tweak your campaign before calling it quits all together.
Final thoughts on direct response marketing tips
Put a system in place and test often to generate sales.. A great online or offline marketing campaign is clear, direct, gives your customers reasons to buy from you and provides clear channels of communication.
Time is your friend and will guide you toward success. Don’t throw in the towel if your direct response campaign isn’t showing results immediately. It takes time for a message to sink in, especially in a competitive marketplace saturated with marketing messages. Make changes to an underperforming experiment before you scrap it.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."
