Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits organizations to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques that can include Cell Phone Text messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional letters, and outdoor advertising.
Direct
marketing messages emphasize a focus on the customer, data, and accountability.
Characteristics that distinguish direct marketing are:
·
Marketing
messages are addressed directly to the customer and/or customers. Direct
marketing relies on being able to address the members of a target
market. Addressability comes in a variety of forms including email
addresses, mobile phone numbers, Web browser cookies, fax numbers and postal
addresses.
·
Direct marketing
seeks to drive a specific "call to action." For example, an
advertisement may ask the prospect to call a free phone number or click on a link to
a website.
·
Direct marketing
emphasizes trackable, measurable responses from customers — regardless of
medium.
Direct
marketing is practiced by businesses of all sizes — from the smallest start-up
to the leaders on the Fortune 500. A well-executed direct advertising campaign
can prove a positive return on investment by showing how many potential
customers responded to a clear call-to-action. General advertising eschews
calls-for-action in favor of messages that try to build prospects’ emotional
awareness or engagement with a brand. Even well-designed general advertisements
rarely can prove their impact on the organization’s bottom line.