Direct Marketing Services
Companies that provide direct marketing services focus on selling their client's products via telemarketing, direct mail, and email. Businesses which target and sell directly to the consumer or to other companies may utilize the services of an outside agency or in-house department to develop and implement multimedia campaigns to boost sales. Telemarketing efforts require employing sales reps to make cold calls to customers based on a specific demographic. Most consumers have experienced dealing with telemarketing and some of the highly persuasive tactics utilized. Direct marketing agencies devise ways to persuade consumers on the other end of the phone to buy products, support non-profit organizations, sponsor a charitable cause, or consent to a home demonstration.
Advertisers may employ direct marketing services professionals to promote nearly every conceivable product -- from vacuum cleaners, household cleansers, and cable TV to cosmetics, long lasting light bulbs, magazine subscriptions, and high school photos. But the challenge for firms that specialize in cold calling is that consumers can easily grow tired of receiving calls which interfere with personal time and infringe on privacy. Some consumers opt to be placed on the National Do Not Call Registry, which prohibits telemarketers from including them on contact lists by law. "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. Knowing that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient,..." (1 Timothy 1:8-9a).
A direct marketing services agency can encounter fewer consumer turn-downs and hang-ups by writing better scripts, offering monetary incentives, and training callers to utilize more effective approaches to cold calling. Stating and reiterating a perceived consumer benefit, streamlining calling lists to include customers who have purchased or used services previously, offering discount coupons or free offers with the purchase of a product are all ways telemarketers can increase the number of positive responses. Direct marketing agencies frequently write scripts which offer consumers discounts on products or services before actually getting into the heart of the sales pitch. Still others are successful in engaging customers in pop quizzes or a request to answer simple questions which results in the customer winning a gift before proceeding into a more detailed sales spiel. Unwitting consumers usually concede to buying products in the midst of celebrating their win. Although unsolicited calls can get creative, telemarketers are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and calling procedures must meet certain guidelines.
The most popular method employed by direct marketing services agencies to sell client products or services is direct mail. Well designed coupon ads or self-mailers can be posted to a specific recipient, usually based on a specific zip code. Post office zip codes usually correlate with individual incomes. High-income consumers who buy high-end products will more than likely reside in high-rent zip codes; and smart advertisers will buy or compile mailing lists to reflect a more affluent niche market. Some agencies compile lists of prospective customers or subscribe to those which closely match the client's target audience. Direct mail pieces are designed to promote a corporate brand through compelling graphics, engaging copy, and high quality printing to entice consumers to read, retain and respond to the client's message.
The key to a successful bulk mail campaign is to design a mailer that won't get tossed; and one picture is definitely worth a thousand words. Direct marketing services firms employ professional photographers, designers and printers to produce pieces that dominantly display the product and offer an immediate benefit. Case in point: pizza chains usually feature a photo of a mouth-watering slice of pie packed with Italian sausage and gooey cheese, along with a discount coupon to be presented at the local pizzeria. Jewelry companies' direct promotional pieces include photos of diamond rings, watches, necklaces and brooches on the front of mailers addressed to affluent residents; and dentists' mailers feature smiling models flashing all thirty-twos, along with discount coupons for dental care.
Unlike telemarketing and direct mail, a relatively new strategy for targeting consumer-direct promotions is email marketing. Nearly every computer-literate adult owns an email address; and advertisers are taking advantage of the latest consumer trend since long distance dialing. Permission-based email campaigns allow companies to send multiple messages to a targeted list of potential customers. Recipients subscribe to e-newsletters, instant messages, and regular electronic mail, which keeps customers abreast of news about product lines and pricing, and enables satisfied shoppers to share testimonials. Email marketing also provides corporations and customers a forum to share information and tips on improving service, developing new products, and eliminating items which are slow sellers. Advertisers who utilize direct marketing services, which include permission-based emailing, should comply with anti-spam laws and develop strategies to prevent recipients from unsubscribing to promotional electronic mail.
Direct marketing services companies may also develop and implement email campaigns to sell directly to other businesses, especially those which carry similar products. B2B advertising may be directed at automotive parts suppliers which can receive emails with discount offerings from manufacturers and warehouses. Educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and retailers may all be the recipients of opt-in email messages from vendors, suppliers and manufacturers of relevant goods and services. Book publishers, pharmaceutical companies, clothing manufacturers, and commercial food suppliers may frequently communicate with recipients in fields of academia, healthcare, and restaurant management. The Internet enables advertisers to tap into a vast market of domestic and foreign private and corporate consumers.
Effective direct marketing services also include tracking consumer buying trends, placing client websites on popular portals for search engine optimization, and conducting affiliate and network marketing programs to enhance consumer-direct selling efforts and drive more traffic to client sites for increased revenues. While some advertisers utilize in-house departments for telemarketing, direct mail and email marketing campaigns, the services of an outside agency ensure that a larger number of targeted consumers can be reached with the client's message. Consistent promotional efforts via traditional and non-traditional marketing methods help to garner a greater share of the elusive consumer dollar.
Advertisers may employ direct marketing services professionals to promote nearly every conceivable product -- from vacuum cleaners, household cleansers, and cable TV to cosmetics, long lasting light bulbs, magazine subscriptions, and high school photos. But the challenge for firms that specialize in cold calling is that consumers can easily grow tired of receiving calls which interfere with personal time and infringe on privacy. Some consumers opt to be placed on the National Do Not Call Registry, which prohibits telemarketers from including them on contact lists by law. "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. Knowing that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient,..." (1 Timothy 1:8-9a).
A direct marketing services agency can encounter fewer consumer turn-downs and hang-ups by writing better scripts, offering monetary incentives, and training callers to utilize more effective approaches to cold calling. Stating and reiterating a perceived consumer benefit, streamlining calling lists to include customers who have purchased or used services previously, offering discount coupons or free offers with the purchase of a product are all ways telemarketers can increase the number of positive responses. Direct marketing agencies frequently write scripts which offer consumers discounts on products or services before actually getting into the heart of the sales pitch. Still others are successful in engaging customers in pop quizzes or a request to answer simple questions which results in the customer winning a gift before proceeding into a more detailed sales spiel. Unwitting consumers usually concede to buying products in the midst of celebrating their win. Although unsolicited calls can get creative, telemarketers are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and calling procedures must meet certain guidelines.
The most popular method employed by direct marketing services agencies to sell client products or services is direct mail. Well designed coupon ads or self-mailers can be posted to a specific recipient, usually based on a specific zip code. Post office zip codes usually correlate with individual incomes. High-income consumers who buy high-end products will more than likely reside in high-rent zip codes; and smart advertisers will buy or compile mailing lists to reflect a more affluent niche market. Some agencies compile lists of prospective customers or subscribe to those which closely match the client's target audience. Direct mail pieces are designed to promote a corporate brand through compelling graphics, engaging copy, and high quality printing to entice consumers to read, retain and respond to the client's message.
The key to a successful bulk mail campaign is to design a mailer that won't get tossed; and one picture is definitely worth a thousand words. Direct marketing services firms employ professional photographers, designers and printers to produce pieces that dominantly display the product and offer an immediate benefit. Case in point: pizza chains usually feature a photo of a mouth-watering slice of pie packed with Italian sausage and gooey cheese, along with a discount coupon to be presented at the local pizzeria. Jewelry companies' direct promotional pieces include photos of diamond rings, watches, necklaces and brooches on the front of mailers addressed to affluent residents; and dentists' mailers feature smiling models flashing all thirty-twos, along with discount coupons for dental care.
Unlike telemarketing and direct mail, a relatively new strategy for targeting consumer-direct promotions is email marketing. Nearly every computer-literate adult owns an email address; and advertisers are taking advantage of the latest consumer trend since long distance dialing. Permission-based email campaigns allow companies to send multiple messages to a targeted list of potential customers. Recipients subscribe to e-newsletters, instant messages, and regular electronic mail, which keeps customers abreast of news about product lines and pricing, and enables satisfied shoppers to share testimonials. Email marketing also provides corporations and customers a forum to share information and tips on improving service, developing new products, and eliminating items which are slow sellers. Advertisers who utilize direct marketing services, which include permission-based emailing, should comply with anti-spam laws and develop strategies to prevent recipients from unsubscribing to promotional electronic mail.
Direct marketing services companies may also develop and implement email campaigns to sell directly to other businesses, especially those which carry similar products. B2B advertising may be directed at automotive parts suppliers which can receive emails with discount offerings from manufacturers and warehouses. Educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and retailers may all be the recipients of opt-in email messages from vendors, suppliers and manufacturers of relevant goods and services. Book publishers, pharmaceutical companies, clothing manufacturers, and commercial food suppliers may frequently communicate with recipients in fields of academia, healthcare, and restaurant management. The Internet enables advertisers to tap into a vast market of domestic and foreign private and corporate consumers.
Effective direct marketing services also include tracking consumer buying trends, placing client websites on popular portals for search engine optimization, and conducting affiliate and network marketing programs to enhance consumer-direct selling efforts and drive more traffic to client sites for increased revenues. While some advertisers utilize in-house departments for telemarketing, direct mail and email marketing campaigns, the services of an outside agency ensure that a larger number of targeted consumers can be reached with the client's message. Consistent promotional efforts via traditional and non-traditional marketing methods help to garner a greater share of the elusive consumer dollar.
Direct Marketing Services
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