What is Direct Response Marketing? – A Predictable Marketing Strategy

Direct response marketing is an advertising strategy designed to get immediate results. The strategy is intended to get customers to take action now, rather than waiting until a later date to possibly remember the product. A targeted message can be delivered through advertisements on popular media outlets such as the radio, television, internet, magazines, or many various other outlets. The message must be strong and portray an offer. It must ask for the order or some type of inquiry or response. Merely advertising the product is not going to get potential customers to take immediate action.

An advantage over other advertising methods is the fact that direct response marketing is measurable. All sales and inquiries can be tracked back to the advertising. This allows the ability to know which offers are producing the best results. The success or failure of marketing efforts is easily measured and results are produced immediately. If a particular campaign is not producing positive results, that information is known quickly, allowing the campaign to be redesigned. This helps to ensure the campaign remains profitable. Image and brand building advertising efforts are not track-able, measureable, and return on investments for ads are generally unknown.

They key to effective direct response marketing begins with the message that is being portrayed. Obviously, the message has to be able to attract attention. It needs to make the customer curious about the product or service being offered. A believable story should be told describing why the product or service is the best thing around. It must tell why the product is better than all others. Ask for a call-to-action. Offer an incentive for taking immediate action. Finally, make it easy for the customer to take action. Offer a toll free number to call, website, whatever is easiest for allowing the customer to inquire or purchase the product.

Direct response marketing is a predictable and highly effective sales approach. Customers are easily targeted by advertising in common places they frequently go. For example, people who fish are likely to read ads in fishing magazines and fishing websites, therefore advertising costs can be spent on people likely to buy the product. Knowing the customers and what they want is essential to successful marketing. Every dollar spent or made is easily measureable, making this form of marketing essential to understanding the financial success or failure of a product or service.