10 Steps to Competent Direct Marketing

Ok, if you haven’t checked out my previous article “Direct Marketing – What is it?“, then you might want to start with that as an introduction. The following is a list I compiled to aid marketers with embracing their “Direct marketing” efforts

WHAT DO YOU ADVISE?

1- Timing is everything!

You want to roll out your “winter wear” campaigns during the snow season, not before, not when it’s not needed. This way by the time it “is” season, they are not worn down with a smattering of ads from the summer months

2- Higher quality leads are key to having a better ROI!

Again, the key term here is “quality leads”. Spamming will cost you time and annoy…better yet, let’s make sure who your sending to “has” an interest in what your selling.

3- Keep your list fresh!

Always make plans to update your list, delete dead accounts and keep it current, so that your efforts are going out to fresh prospects, not hand me down email addresses. It has been written that 40% of your returns relies on the “correct” list being used, whether it’s by direct mail or email.

4- Target those who are more “likely” to take an interest in your product

This comes from efficient profiling and a trusted database

5- Educate your customers!

Don’t just sell, sell, sell (or rather market market market ;)…..give them some intelligent info as to why they “should” choose what you are selling. Raise the awareness of your brand!

6- Build your customers profiles!

Learn and fine tune who is best suited for what. A good example of this can be seen on the Amazon.com web site. Have you ever noticed the recommendations seem to match what your interested in? HMM….it’s like they read minds or something! Make sure you have means to capture this data and analyze it.

7- Offers – Make a CTA (call to action)!

Give them an incentive to purchase….examples: limited offers, coupons, specials, a certain need, a demand..etc

8- Test, Test, Test!

Don’t take your eye off the ball – You must keep with the times to recognize consumer change and migration. Track the results of your campaigns. Your also looking for that “low hanging fruit”, the opportunities that are waiting to be picked. This can be accomplished by measuring your “customer experience”.

9- Provide many ways for clients to contact you!

This shows that you are concerned about your clients and haven’t limited it to just mail in, just web or just phone…give them variety!

10- Testimonials have power!

People like to hear the response of “real people” (those who purchased something from you and had a great experience). Consider adding some to your corporation’s web site.

Well, I hope that gives you a foundation to work with. Stayed tuned for future articles!

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