Direct marketing is often the first impression that people have of a business, and we all know that first impressions count, right? If growing your business and reaching your consumers is your top priority, then a direct approach is essential.
This promotional technique can help you to form a better connection with your customers and further develop brand awareness. Here at VerriBerri, our specialists have over a decade of experience working alongside companies from a range of different industries. We will work closely with you to build a strategy that resonates with your individual brand.
What Is Direct Marketing?
This form of marketing communicates directly to the customer, without the use of an advertising “middleman”. Furthermore, it involves sharing promotional information solely to your target audience, as these people are more likely to be interested in your products or services.
Whilst some marketing techniques are used to increase brand awareness or digital visibility, direct marketing’s main objective is to persuade consumers to take an action. This doesn’t necessarily mean making a purchase, however, although this is the ultimate goal. An action may entail visiting your website, filling out a contact form, downloading content, or calling or emailing you directly.
What Are the Advantages?
Unlike mass advertising, “direct” means that this type of marketing is presented only to those who are likely to be interested in your brand. In other words, your target demographic. This makes the ROI more substantial as you’re more likely to see conversions as a result of your marketing efforts in comparison to searching for a needle in a haystack!
Other benefits include:
- Personalisation: as you know who your target audience is, you’re also able to provide a more personal touch to your message. This helps you to grow relationships with your customers and appear more trustworthy.
- Cost-effective: it’s a cost-effective marketing technique because you’re directly targeting those who are more likely to convert.
- Measurable: if your content has a call-to-action (CTA), you can easily track the success of your strategy and adjust accordingly.
- Informative: unlike other forms of promotion, you can offer detailed information about your brand and what you offer.
How Does It Compare to Indirect Marketing?
Indirect marketing is about generating brand awareness and building brand authority over time. Although certainly beneficial, if you want to see quick results, then the more direct approach will be your preferred option. Ideally, you want to use a combination of both direct and indirect marketing techniques to see the best results.
Different Types of Direct Marketing
At our marketing agency, we offer several different types of direct approaches. This includes:
Email Marketing
A successful email marketing campaign can help with lead generation and building relationships with both new and existing customers. It involves sending engaging promotional and conversational newsletters to a list of subscribers via email. Considering that email marketing revenue is estimated to reach over $12 billion by 2024, this is a marketing technique that you don’t want to be missing out on!
Social Media Marketing
No matter the size of your company, social media marketing can be a powerful tool. An organic social media strategy focuses on building relationships and connecting with customers, whilst also boosting brand awareness and encouraging conversions. As such, over 77% of businesses use social media to reach their customers and 76% of users have made a purchase after seeing it on social media.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Internet marketing is one of the best ways to promote your brand and generate more website traffic in this digital age. Additionally, it’s an inexpensive way to widen your reach. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the most popular forms of internet marketing.
SEO involves adjusting your website so that it better aligns with Google’s algorithm. Consequently, the more specifications that you meet, the higher your website will rank on the search engine results page (SERP) and the more website traffic that you will see as a result.
Pay-per-click (PPC)
Another type of search engine marketing (SEM) is pay-per-click (PPC). It allows you to use search keywords to target people who are searching for things relevant to your business, with the aim of directing them towards your website. Also, it does what it says on the tin! You only incur a cost when somebody clicks directly on your advert.
PPC uses Google Ads for either search or display campaigns. Search ads are displayed at the top of the SERP when somebody actively searches for one of your keywords. Comparatively, display ads are shown on other websites to take advantage of their audience and broaden your reach. Whilst search ads are ideal for generating conversions and website traffic, display ads are focused on improving brand awareness to a huge amount of people.
Things to Consider
A successful marketing campaign requires careful planning and strategy, which is where our experts thrive! Before implementing your new campaign, it’s important to consider the following:
Target Audience
Direct marketing can be seen as more intrusive compared to indirect methods, especially if people are not interested in your business. Therefore, it’s crucial to focus your efforts on a targeted demographic who are likely to engage with your brand or make a purchase.
Budget
One topic everybody likes to avoid is money, but unfortunately, there are no two ways about it. A restricted budget can limit opportunities from your marketing efforts. However, you’ll be pleased to hear that both internet marketing and social media can make a positive impact with a modest budget. So, what’s stopping you?
Call-to-action (CTA)
The main goal is to persuade the consumer to take an action, such as filling out a contact form or downloading content. Therefore, an effective CTA needs to provide clear instructions, be easy to find, and be designed for conversion.
Tracking
Measuring and analysing your response data is vital when it comes to building a successful marketing campaign. It allows you to learn more about consumer behaviour, figure out what’s working well and what needs to be adapted.
Contact Us
Are you interested in hearing more about our direct marketing services? If you’re looking to boost your marketing strategy and see more conversions, get in touch with us today on 01376 386850. Alternatively, click here to email us!