The Value of Direct Marketing
Posted by karenses on March 4, 2008
Marketing is critical to business growth. Unless a business focuses on and aligns their offerings with specific needs targeted towards a specific market segment, a business will not succeed.
With that, marketing is the process of “maneuvering” an organization towards the success of selling a product or service that people need or want and are willing to pay for. From anticipating customers’ future needs and wants (market research), to providing a product roadmap (product marketing) to then communicating, promoting, distributing and selling – marketing spans many areas of business.
In an attempt to guide customers towards a specific offering, effective marketing must be entirely clear on defining and communicating its’ value proposition (or set of benefits) to a set of targeted end users – then actually delivering on that value through the offerings presented. In creating awareness, it’s essential those top value points are communicated through the various marketing channels of communication.
What is Direct Marketing?
Direct marketing is a channel of marketing primarily focused on “lead generation” and emphasizes trackable and measurable results per campaign. There are two main characteristics that distinguish it from other types of marketing.
1. Direct marketing attempts to send its messages directly to a highly targeted group of consumers, without the use of intervening “mass media” such as radio or TV. This always involves direct communication with consumers or businesses (many times unsolicited) including; email marketing, direct mail, telemarketing, fax campaigns, door hangers, and more.
2. Direct marketing is focused on driving sales directly attributed to a specific “call-to-action.” Whatever medium is used, “direct response advertising” asks the prospect to take a specific action usually within a specified timeframe (i.e. call by end of week and receive 25% discount).
In turn, direct marketing usually offers a clearer picture on ROI then other marketing channels thus providing marketers a much needed tactical approach which can provide results both sales and management teams can easily relate to and understand - so that in your next meeting when they ask “what have you done for me lately” your reports will justify all activities and expenses. And what a thrill that is.
