| "A Powerful Direct Response Marketing Guide | | | | is much less expensive to collect and test |
| that Can Literally Double or Triple the | | | | different offers with the speed of the |
| Number of New Clients Your Bring Into Your | | | | Internet. This is the same way publishers |
| Business Online or Offline" | | | | have sold magazine subscriptions and books |
| | | | since the beginning of the century. The only |
| Contact Information | | | | difference today is that the Internet has |
| | | | made it much faster and cheaper to compile |
| Timothy Little--For details on how to launch | | | | permission based opt-in lists online. |
| a direct response Web site or mail marketing | | | | |
| campaign contact me by E-mail For free | | | | Even a great product at a reduced price would |
| consultation e-mail the quote form at or call | | | | be useless if it is presented to the wrong |
| me by phone at (989) 463-5951Part 1: Defining | | | | prospects. You must target your prospect to |
| Direct Response | | | | generate traffic for your product by Web site |
| | | | or mail. |
| Advertising | | | | |
| | | | Most lists fall into two categories compiled |
| Direct Response marketing is accountable. It | | | | lists or direct response lists. Compiled |
| is advertising you can justify and track. Not | | | | lists are phone directories annual membership |
| only is direct response marketing measurable | | | | rosters, and manufacturing directories. |
| but it can easily be adapted to fit your | | | | Response lists are just as they imply they |
| advertising budget. | | | | have responded and purchased a targeted |
| | | | product or service recently, because of this |
| The heart of direct response advertising is | | | | fact they are most likely to purchase a |
| in the planning, organizing and pricing of | | | | similar item again. Response lists are common |
| the marketing campaign. Small business | | | | for magazine subscriptions or lists of |
| entrepreneurs must match mailing list | | | | prospects that have purchased life insurance |
| selection to prospect profiles and design a | | | | or indexed annuities recently. |
| campaign that targets the customer. Most | | | | |
| importantly, providing follow up service with | | | | Standard Rates and Data Services (SRDS) are |
| back-end analysis, fulfillment of orders and | | | | directories of response lists. They will |
| inquiries this allows a small business to | | | | include quantities and descriptions of each |
| test and measure campaigns quickly and | | | | list for sale. |
| inexpensively. | | | | |
| | | | Part 3: Direct Marketing Strategy |
| A small business financial planner can than | | | | |
| focus on the most profitable segments of a | | | | The offer is often referred to as the deal. |
| campaign. Direct response marketing is | | | | This is what people get for there money. |
| efficient its small target groups made up of | | | | Whether you're planning a direct marketing |
| the most interested prospects for a product | | | | strategy, evaluating a campaign or writing an |
| or service. | | | | ad much of the work revolves around three |
| | | | important elements. The offer the list and |
| Direct mail and direct marketing are | | | | the creative and these elements work together |
| sometimes used interchangeably. Direct | | | | or separately to make your direct marketing |
| marketing can be used effectively in many | | | | promotion work. |
| different media's and is not limited to | | | | |
| direct mail advertising. Direct marketing | | | | The offer is the product or service being |
| goes far beyond sending self contained | | | | sold and includes any warranties, guarantees, |
| mailers. This reality is truer online since, | | | | features, and price and credit terms. The |
| accumulating opt-in permission based names | | | | offer could also be the actions someone needs |
| for e-mail promotions can be done at a | | | | to take to place an order like a shopping |
| fraction of the cost of bulk mail marketing | | | | cart or form on a Web site or reply card in a |
| campaigns. I can help you during the critical | | | | bulk mailing. |
| planning stages e-mail me at for more | | | | |
| information. | | | | Offers separate general advertising from |
| | | | direct response. General advertising often |
| Direct response advertising can be used in | | | | excludes the critical information that should |
| variations to support marketing and | | | | always be included in direct response |
| promotional activities for driving traffic to | | | | advertising. Direct response puts all the |
| your Web site or inquiries for a product or | | | | necessary information together in an offer |
| service | | | | and tells the reader exactly how to respond. |
| | | | People expect offers in direct response |
| A study recently published in the Marketing | | | | advertising. You must give the prospective |
| section of the Wall Street Journal (December | | | | customer a reason to respond like limited |
| 2002.) Indicates that media spending will | | | | offer or special bonus, since the purchase is |
| shift away from traditional media advertising | | | | impulsive in nature. |
| and switch towards Internet marketing and | | | | |
| direct mail since they appear to be more | | | | Failing to make the offer clear or forgetting |
| promising. "E-mail marketing is more | | | | to make an offer at all is a common mistake |
| measurable and is seen as a good value for | | | | among direct response marketing beginners. |
| the money as people get better customer | | | | The way to get a response to an offer is to |
| targeting". | | | | make a deal that prospects can't refuse. |
| | | | |
| The growth of direct response marketing | | | | In direct marketing, offers are categorized |
| online and off has grown tremendously over | | | | by the method of payment. Offers with delayed |
| the last few years. The benefits and profit | | | | billing and trial periods are soft offers. |
| potential online has been recognized | | | | Asking for a payment up front with a special |
| worldwide and will be the number one | | | | bonus for paying now by credit card is a hard |
| advertising vehicle both online and off for | | | | offer. The payment terms like accepting |
| the following reasons. | | | | credit cards online makes a big difference in |
| | | | the response to the offer. Splitting up |
| *Patrick Barwise - London Business School | | | | payments can sometimes make a difference on |
| management and marketing. | | | | higher priced items. |
| | | | |
| Benefits drive direct marketing. If you don't | | | | Sometimes in direct marketing the elements |
| already think of your marketing in terms of | | | | included in a product can make a big |
| benefits, now is a good time to start. Direct | | | | difference in response. The price of an offer |
| marketing is like no other form of | | | | should be tested at certain price points. |
| advertising since you have control over your | | | | Testing hard offer verses soft offer |
| message and you control everything color, | | | | sometimes can make a big difference in |
| design, the list, and your budget and payment | | | | response rates. Always strive to improve your |
| options. | | | | offer by testing different elements of an |
| | | | offer. |
| The flexibility of direct response marketing | | | | |
| helps you to broaden your thinking. Precise | | | | Part 4: Direct Marketing Creative |
| targeting allows you to search for specific | | | | |
| products. The more precise your message is | | | | Your actual copy and graphic design is |
| the less money and time you spend on people | | | | important in direct response but less than a |
| who are not interested or qualified to use | | | | well defined strategy using your offer and a |
| your product. Direct response marketing is an | | | | targeted list. |
| equalizer for a small business. Finally you | | | | |
| are able to compete with larger competitors | | | | Poor graphic design can hurt your response |
| with targeted messages and react quickly to | | | | and professional image. Lavish or unusual |
| changes in the market because of your small | | | | artistic techniques may work well for |
| size. | | | | magazines and other types of advertising but |
| | | | would actually distract or lower response |
| Direct Marketing is immediate and personal. | | | | rates in direct mail. It would be wise to |
| What is more immediate and personal than a | | | | keep your graphic design to a minimum unless |
| letter? New opt-in email technologies allow | | | | you employ a graphic designer for design or |
| you to reach thousands of prospects in | | | | professional photographer to shoot your |
| minutes with a personalized message including | | | | photography. Direct response advertising is a |
| name and personal interests. | | | | combination of words, pictures and graphics. |
| | | | The words used almost always must move and |
| Direct marketing is a more testable form of | | | | persuade. |
| advertising. Every mailing campaign you run | | | | |
| is an opportunity for you to test something | | | | Write a sales letter for entry-level products |
| and gain information that can help you | | | | or service's and feature it on your home |
| improve your marketing. You always have the | | | | page. Write a sales letter convincing |
| opportunity to test different lists, offers | | | | prospects to send an e-mail requesting a |
| and packages. You need to have a good | | | | sales representative to contact them. Offer |
| tracking program in place to do this | | | | free reports, e-zine to build the list. |
| effectively. | | | | Personalizing with first name last name, |
| | | | gender zip-code using mail/merge software |
| Part 2: The money is in the list | | | | will increase response and will separate you |
| | | | from the clutter of emails prospects get. |
| You can use direct response marketing to | | | | |
| build a database. Whenever a prospect buys | | | | Using a compelling headline that draws your |
| from you simply add their name and purchase | | | | prospect into your letter and promotion can |
| information to your database. The quickest | | | | triple marketing response. The headline |
| way to build a database is to offer a free | | | | should be driven by product benefits or |
| electronic brochure embedded on your Web site | | | | solving a problem. Headline offers would be a |
| for example (9 ways to retire 10 years early | | | | good item to test in a letter and can pay for |
| or free quotes and 30 days of free life | | | | it self many times over since this would |
| insurance.) | | | | become your control letter. Newspapers and |
| | | | tabloids use well crafted headlines to sell |
| The reason for your database is to re-sell to | | | | there publications at point of purchase |
| your prospects again and again and test cross | | | | display's. |
| selling techniques for free. This brochure | | | | |
| can be plugged in to your web site for | | | | Only a few Web sites use direct response |
| download or you can personally make an | | | | marketing in there copy and the Web sites |
| appointment with your prospect and hand them | | | | that have tested sales copy have been |
| a brochure in person. | | | | successful. Marlon Sanders and Cory Rudl are |
| | | | good examples of internet direct response |
| There is no doubt that these techniques will | | | | marketing pioneers. Both have made fortunes |
| help you to achieve success in your marketing | | | | selling and testing there books and e-books |
| efforts. It is important that you plot the | | | | on the internet using old fashioned marketing |
| destination of your marketing campaigns with | | | | techniques. Web sites that sell products and |
| a marketing or business plan. Direct | | | | services do better if graphics and flashy |
| marketing results are almost immediate and | | | | programming designs are excluded since they |
| these results will not help you unless you | | | | take longer to load which will greatly lower |
| plan your business objectives. Many companies | | | | the response unless closely tested. |
| falter and lose sight of overall goals | | | | |
| without a marketing plan to guide them. | | | | The focus is writing compelling copy that |
| | | | describes the many benefits and features of |
| Improved Computer capabilities and more | | | | products or services. Products that are |
| recently the internet has made both direct | | | | digital in nature like e-books and MP3 music |
| marketing and direct mail more efficient and | | | | and software do especially well since the |
| more effective with database marketing. The | | | | visitor will get immediate satisfaction by |
| way to make direct mail more efficient | | | | checking out with credit card and downloading |
| especially with the rising costs of postal | | | | within a couple of minutes. If you are |
| rates and print media is to target prospects | | | | selling e-commerce web mall items clean |
| with database collections. | | | | digital photography with limited graphics and |
| | | | strong copy featuring benefits like free |
| The database is a collection of information | | | | delivery, guaranteed satisfaction or free |
| on customers and perspective customers | | | | downloads will help response levels. |
| including their names, addresses, titles and | | | | |
| companies. Lists selections can be further | | | | Direct response soft offer trial periods are |
| segmented by geography or zip-codes, gender, | | | | being used frequently by Microsoft Network |
| income and commission levels. | | | | and AOL to market there internet services. |
| | | | Like 60 days free with credit card |
| Prospects are grouped together with common | | | | verification. When the competition is fierce |
| characteristics to increase marketing | | | | and pockets are deep soft offers can be very |
| effectiveness. The database is used to fit | | | | effective as long as your billing package has |
| customers with products or services and to | | | | been tested and has proved to be effective. |
| aim a precisely written message to a special | | | | Payment variations (credit card, check, |
| group of people. | | | | installment by phone or emailed by CGI form) |
| | | | may work well for products and services on |
| Successful sales professionals know that the | | | | the internet. This technique used in direct |
| more they know about their customers and | | | | mail would have the opposite effect and may |
| prospects the better they will be able to | | | | lower response. Testing this feature would |
| sell to them. The same is true in direct | | | | give you the best answer. |
| marketing and the list is the key resource. | | | | |
| | | | Sometimes billing prospects for services can |
| Close list selection and analysis is the | | | | triple the response rate. The payment offer |
| first step to ensuring a successful direct | | | | can be a crucial element in a direct response |
| response program both online and off. The | | | | campaign and should be evaluated closely, |
| money is in the list and in this sense the | | | | since the pay up rate could possibly break a |
| internet has not changed this fact. Today, it | | | | small business. |