Direct Marketing

Get Started: four things to know about direct marketing

Ever realised your best customers could have never heard of what you have to offer? Direct marketing emphasises the relationship of people and businesses - the goal is to establish and maintain a one-to-one connection with a customer for the lifespan of a company and its products.

Databases of customers are the foundation of a direct marketing business - scanning a database enables you to identify prospective customers and know about their preferences and thus target the customers with the largest profit potential for your business.

Direct marketing practitioners have found that 80 per cent of their business derives from 20 per cent of their customer base. Knowing this, a big part of direct marketing strategy relies on identifying this magical 20 per cent sector and investing in these relationships.

As the closest thing to face-to-face selling, direct marketing artefacts will continuously transmit your business message to your customers at times when they're in need of it. Direct marketing can take the form of letters, email, catalogues and brochures, newletters, product samples, audio-visual media, and many others.



How does direct marketing benefit your business?

*Targetted audience: you get to reach the people that you think will have an interest in your product offering or service. Reaching people through drect marketing can lead them into your store or your website.

*Personal appeal: a well-constructed direct marketing campaign will devote more effort to offering solutions to a customer's concerns, and answers product issues in detail, which never fails to grab the attention of customers.

*Action and information: a direct marketing campaign leads to an appeal for positive action from your customers, such as ordering a sample, inviting a salesperson to come over or purchase the product through phone-in calls, emails or a website. What's more, by giving your customers an incentive to send in forms in return for coupon discounts or freebies you can build up a database of names and mailing addresses.

*Goodwill: you escape the ire of customers who resent being called at unconvenient times or do not wish to be disturbed at all in their homes. At their most comfortable and ready time, your direct marketing materials will be there for them!