Marketing Gems 101
“Practical and proven direct response marketing and copywriting advice
for today’s business owners, sales reps, and marketers”
Direct Response Marketing…
See Why The Most Successful Marketers
In The World Use This Strategy To
Quickly And Consistently Boost Profits!
Hey there!
If you asked the world’s most successful marketers what the most profitable marketing strategy is, how would they answer?
You might be thinking: Websites, Yellow Page ads, newspaper and magazine space ads, postcards, blimps, pens, ads on shopping carts, coffee mugs, and on and on and on.
And you’d be wrong…
Let me explain.
You see, they’re not really strategies, but instead they are techniques that can be used as part of a direct response marketing strategy.
So we’re going to take a closer look at the two biggest marketing strategies used, explain some key differences, so you can decide which one is best for you to you to use in your own marketing efforts.
And in the process, I’ll probably tick off a few big advertising agencies that won’t agree with me, but I don’t care because I want you to know the real truth!
So – here they are :
1 ) Direct Response Marketing and
2) Brand or Imaging Marketing – (Indirect Marketing)
Direct Response Marketing
Direct response marketing ad campaigns can be tracked to the penny. These strategies encompass many techniques including websites, space ads, direct mail sales letters, postcards, coupons, and e-mail campaigns.
These type of marketing campaigns direct the reader to take a specific action, and are well suited for lead generation and direct sales.
Another advantage of direct response marketing is you can measure actual results for every ad or campaign and know exactly what the cost and total return on investment (ROI) was to the penny.
How about that now.
Results that you can directly measure!
You can know whether a specific web page, ad or letter is profitable based on the response rate. If it’s not, you can quickly change one of the variables in the campaign to re-test it or you can ditch it completely.
For tracking and testing purposes, web and landing pages, sales letters, ads, coupons, and postcards should have a tracking code of some sort in it. Heck, even radio or TV ads should be considered direct marketing if they include a response mechanism (call to action) in the ad, such as a special 800 number, or special website address.
Any method that asks the customer to take some form of action or response, call a certain number, use a certain code, or go to a certain website is considered direct response marketing!
Using this strategy, you are not throwing money out the window because every letter you mail or ad you place is a only test. If it doesn’t produce decent results, it doesn’t indicate it’s a failure, just that the particular ad, medium, offer, or list didn’t work. It shows you one thing you know doesn’t work.
But always keep in mind – It’s only a test! Every ad or letter is only a test and you need to continually test everything to either improve it’s success or get rid of it to minimize your costs.
Brand/Image/Indirect Marketing
There are countless forms of Indirect Marketing, including a lot of commercial advertising, billboards, most TV commercials (think Super Bowl ads), blimps, public relations advertising, etc, etc. Basically, anything that has your company name on it or in it for the public to see, but doesn’t have a specific call to action so the response and profitability can not be tracked at all.
The biggest reason for most marketing of this type is for imaging or branding purposes. It only serves to “get your name out there”.
This type of marketing is fine if you are IBM or Microsoft, and have an unlimited cash machine. Unfortunately, most businesses don’t have that luxury.
However, there is a use for this type of marketing for “normal” businesses, but only on a very limited basis and only as a secondary technique. If you wait long enough and spend enough money, you may get people to recognize your company name, that is… if you’re still in business.
Image and Brand Marketing Can’t Be Measured
All of the money you spend goes right to the ad agency and you have no idea what the actual results of this type of marketing is because there’s no response tracking mechanism in the ads.
Think about it, how many extra Budweisers are actually sold each year resulting only from their funny Super Bowl Ads?
How could they possible know? Thay can’t! There’s no way to track it. To me, it’s just a dumb waste of money!
That is why the big advertising agencies charge outrageous sums of money to these advertisers. They know that there is no way to track the results. BUT, they probably did win some fancy advertising award! Whoopdy Stupid Doo! Who cares about their Golden Ad Award?
How about making someone “accountable” for results and measurable ROI using direct response techniques? If the ad agencies did that, they wouldn’t be able to charge the “big bucks” to the advertisers, and we can’t have that, can we?
Summary:
Indirect marketing methods have only a very small place in most companies overall marketing strategies. Why would you spend money on something that you can not somehow attribute to your bottom line? It could take years for the world to recognize you through these methods.
Direct marketing principles, on the other hand, should be used almost exclusively for the bulk of your marketing. You can track it to the penny, and you can measure the results quickly and make necessary changes.
You can continue to test everything that is produced until, and even after you get the results you want, and every dollar you spend is accounted for and trackable!
Let’s face it: Isn’t that why you’re in business – to make money?
So what’s your decision? Which strategy will you use in your marketing from now on?
See ya next time!
If you have an advertising or marketing project and want me to provide a quote to write persuasive sales copy – click here!
__________________________________________________________
Merrill Clark- Direct Response Copywriter
Marketing/Website Consultant
Crestview Marketing Services LLC
603-686-5140
Do you want to get more qualified leads and clients from your Website, advertising or marketing campaigns?
If maximizing every marketing dollar with direct response copywriting and marketing techniques is important to you, then please contact me right away (my contact info is below), and I’ll be happy to provide you with
a complimentary 30-minute initial consultation, a $50 value.
You see, if you send out postcards, space ads, sales letters, follow-up letters, brochures, e-mails, or need a new or more effective website, you’ll consistently get more new leads and customers than you ever have before when you use the direct response sales copy I can provide.
If you have specific questions or would like to discuss a project you have coming up, please call me at 603-686-5140, or e-mail me.
I will reply as soon as I can, usually within 48 hours.
More information about direct response copywriting and marketing, online and offline, and services I offer can also be found on my web sites at www.webcontentNH.com and www.CrestviewMarketing.com.
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