Direct Marketing produced $ 2.05 trillion in sales in 2012. That represents about 8.7% of US GDP in 2013. This involves several key points.
First of all, the competition in direct marketing is tough. With all those ad dollars that are being spent on direct marketing, you need to make sure your message gets across and gets heard. Second, with stiff competition, you have to craft compelling messages, not once, but repeatedly. You must do this effectively and efficiently, if you want to do more than just stay afloat.
Therefore, it is important to develop a marketing strategy that optimizes your budget spending by employing direct marketing more effectively. Here are 5 essential components of successful direct marketing.
1) Deliver a compelling sales message
Several elements go into creating a compelling sales message. Successful sales letters and other marketing content must be relevant, helpful, and persuasive. Marketing content that works grabs your potential customer’s attention, shows uniqueness, and builds trust with your potential customer. Employ these three elements in all your direct marketing content.
WIIFM – Tell your prospect exactly what’s in it for him or her.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – Clearly describe why your solution is superior.
· Testimonials – Let your satisfied customers “sell” for you.
2) Follow up on leads promptly to attract and attract the attention of your lead
You may have a sales letter that generates leads, but if you don’t follow up, valuable leads will slip away. Follow up on a live event with a phone call, email, or letter inviting the prospect to take the next step.
Offer a free demo of your product or service. Make an appointment with a subject matter expert who can go into more detail about how your company’s solution works and why it is better than the competition. Then, before the scheduled demo, submit a whitepaper that explains your product in detail.
Follow up, engage, and spark your potential customer’s interest in your solution.
3) Promote your brand
Brand benefits give companies an advantage over non-brand competitors. Branding helps to favorably position your product or service. It also gives you pricing and power of distribution. The lesson is: never miss a brand opportunity.
Direct marketing offers you many online and offline means to build brand awareness. Online media: (1) Banner ad; (2) blogs; (3) email; and (4) Website. Offline media: (1) Print advertising: sales letters, postcards, brochures; (2) press releases; and (3) Public Relations.
4) Foster the relationship with the new client
Lead nurturing is just as important as lead acquisition. Most companies want to develop long-term relationships with customers. That’s because they become regulars. And, over time, repeat customers drive more sales and profit for your bottom line.
Outbound marketing provides many ways to create and maintain a successful lead development program. You can use email, direct mail, social media, mobile devices, podcasts, seminars, phone calls, and videos.
5) Integrate and synchronize direct online and offline marketing
To optimize your direct marketing message and budget, success lies in finding the right mix of online and offline methods. One method is not necessarily better than another. Instead, the secret ingredient to successful direct marketing depends on how you weave these various methods together.
You can integrate and synchronize these methods throughout the sales cycle starting with message delivery. Start with a sales letter, follow up with a phone call or email. Refer your prospect to your website for more in-depth marketing content, and don’t forget to bookmark throughout this process.
Getting the marketing mix right has a “multiplier effect” that helps you close sales faster and easier. Employing different media consistently and consistently working towards the same goal optimizes your marketing efforts.
Don’t overlook the value of direct marketing
With so much attention lately focused on inbound marketing, it’s easy to overlook the benefits of direct marketing. However, as you can see, it still dominates most of the sales. Therefore, it is wise to examine the focus of your marketing strategy and align your budget accordingly.
Before embarking on a direct marketing campaign, use these five essential components to effectively and efficiently compete for that $ 2.05 trillion market.