What Is It & Why Do I Need It?

You need it because we said you need it. Not really, but you really need to try it. Direct response marketing is a technique designed to evoke an immediate response from a target audience or customer. This response could be anything from signing up for your newsletter to making a purchase. The goal is to make them take action as soon as possible. Many people associate direct marketing with direct mail, which can be part of an overall effective direct marketing strategy. But it is that and only that. Part. We want the whole shebang, not just the sh. Combine any or all of the techniques below and become a black belt in direct response marketing.

Referral Program

WOMM is the bomb, straight up. What’s WOMM, you ask? Word of mouth marketing. Studies have shown that over 80% of people trust recommendations they get from friends, family, and colleagues. This is exactly why a referral program is an effective direct response marketing strategy.

How do you start? Easy. Send an email to past/existing customers and ask them to refer your business to their family and friends. Make sure to leave them a link to a page you want their friends to visit. You can even offer them a discount on future purchases or some sort of gift for referring you. Like free donuts. Everybody loves donuts.

You could also ask for referrals on your “Thank You” page after a purchase has been made. It can be short and sweet. Here’s an example from ButcherBox:

Screen Shot 2021-02-23 at 3.17.37 PM.pngSocial Media Ads

Social media has become one of the most powerful platforms for direct response marketing. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a product or a service, social media ads are a good way to get your prospective customers to act right now. Just make sure that your ad has quality, eye-catching visuals, short and punchy copy, and a clear call to action so that they know exactly what they’re getting. Try to limit the number of words in the visual part of your ad. Leave the details for the ad copy.

Contests & Giveaways Everybody loves a good ol’ fashioned contest and nothing in this life is free… except for a giveaway.  Contests and giveaways are great ways to generate some buzz and the best part is that you don’t need any bees! Yes, we know that was lame. We never claimed to be comedians, we claimed to be marketers. That’s how we know that contests and giveaways are great for obtaining immediate responses from your target audience. Just make sure that the gift you give is relevant to your business and brand so that only your target audience engages.

Texting Did you know that more than 75% of people primarily use text messaging over other forms of communication? Now you do! And how many times per day would you say that you check your phone? Probably quite a few. One sec, just got a text… what!? Half-price burrito when you spend over $10? We’ll be there in 15 minutes!

Get your customers and target audience to sign up to receive texts from you by phrasing your offer in a way that benefits them. “Sign up and you’ll receive exclusive discounts and secret products!” Something along those lines. Try to segment these contacts as you would with email to ensure that your texts are personalized and targeted. Don’t forget that you can include a link in your texts to direct your customers to where you want them to go!

Believe It Or Not… Direct Mail Is it old-fashioned? Sure. Does it still work? Absolutely. Yet so many brands have abandoned it. This is great for you (depending on your industry) because now your mailer will stand out even more! It could be a brochure, or a coupon, a newsletter, or an offer with dotted lines that indicate how to fold it in order to make a cool airplane. Whatever it is, make it useful and fun for your target audience. You can also use QR codes to direct people right to your website. When it comes to marketing, no stone should be left unturned. Don’t knock direct mail until you’ve tried it!

There you have it! You know what direct response marketing is and you’ve got some new juicy ideas about how you can implement some direct response marketing strategies for your business. We’d love to stick around and chat, but we’ve got a discounted burrito to attend to. Give us a holler if you’d like some assistance utilizing the strategies above.