In Direct Response we use a couple of ways to attract and drive customers to a call to action. One is Direct mail, probably the most well known.

Emerson Direct: Direct Mail

Direct mail is a type of advertising medium in which messages are sent to targeted customers through the mail. it's one of the oldest and still most widely used forms of communicationg with customers. From here on out the best way to distinguish what direct mail is, is to remember that direct mail is simply an advertising medium, like print or broadcast media. In direct mail, advertising and other types of messages are delivered through the mail.

Direct marketing is a large based term that simply points to a type of direct marketing that utilizes a variety of advertising media to that targets direct to the consumer.. Direct marketing is distinct from other types of marketing in that it makes an offer and solicits a direct response. Hence the term, "direct response". Direct mail is the most popular advertising medium that direct marketers employ, it is also the most frequently used.

Direct mail is a particularly attractive option for small business owners, as it can communicate complete information about a product or service and reach almost any conceivable target group, all for a relatively low cost. In the case of Emerson Direct, Direct mail provided the basis for the creation of a business. Direct mail can also and should be used to supplement a company's traditional sales efforts. One advantage of direct mail is that it is testable, so that entrepreneurs and business owneres can try out different sales messages on various target audiences to find the most successful message for driving sales.

Direct Mail Uses

Direct mail, out of all direct response marketing mediums, is still the most popular and growing of direct marketing vehicles, despite postage increases. Business owners use of direct mail is to reach consumers with offers that will spur a "direct response". .

Direct mail is also effective in B to B marketing. Since business orders are usually of larger value than consumer purchases, it often takes more than one mailing to make a sale. But of course one sale, can make a whole quarter. In addition to making sales, B to B direct mail can be used to generate sales leads and reinforce the personal selling effort.

Direct Mail Elements

THE OFFER. There are three key elements of successful direct mail: making an offer, choosing a target audience from your customer lists and databases, and creating a direct mail piece. Making an offer is one element that distinguishes direct response marketing from general advertising and other types of marketing.

In direct mail the offer can be tailored to fit the characteristics of the individual recipients. In other words, you need to target the piece to fit the recipient. Direct mail allows marketers to target individuals with known purchase histories or particular psychographic or demographic characteristics, all of which affect how an offer should be made.

MAILING LISTS AND DATABASES. Mailing lists and databases offer direct mail marketers the opportunity for more selectivity and personalization than any other advertising medium. The two basic types of lists are in-house lists and external lists. In-house lists—sometimes called response lists—are those compiled by the company based on responses to its previous mailings or to its advertising in other media. In contrast, external lists are typically compiled for rental by sources outside the company. There are thousands of different lists available that classify consumers according to a variety of demographic criteria. External lists may be rented by competitors as well.

THE DIRECT MAIL Piece. Direct mail pieces come in all shapes and sizes, which makes direct mail one of the most flexible of the direct marketing media. A standard direct mail piece includes an envelope, a letter, a brochure, and a response device. A variation on the classic format is the multi-mailer—a piece with a number of flyers each selling a different product.

Looking more closely at the classic direct mail piece, the envelope's job is to motivate the recipient to open the piece. The recipient's decision whether to open, set aside, or discard the mailing piece takes just one or two seconds. it all depends on the envelope and the compelling copy. Regardless of the volume of mail someone receives, whether at home or at work, the envelope must distinguish itself from other mail by its copy and you the consumer wanting to open it.

Direct Mail Testing

Since lots of money is involved in mailing to lists of thousands, most direct response marketers take advantage of the ease of testing. Every element of direct mail—the offer, the list, and the piece—can easily be tested to avoid committing major resources to unproductive mailings.

For products and services being sold by mail, pricing and payment options are often tested. A test may reveal that a higher price actually produces a better response. While the product and the price are considered the main offer, premiums and other incentives that enhance the offer are also subject to testing.. Do not ever sell short the value of a product, by thinking you need to give it away at first.

The direct mail piece is subject to a variety of tests focusing on format and copy. If the mailer has established a control piece, then one element at a time is tested to see if it lifts the response to the piece. Another type of creative testing is sometimes called breakthrough testing, where an entirely new approach is developed to sell a product or service.

Lists, offers, and pieces can all be tested in one mailing when done properly. A test matrix consisting of individual test batches is constructed. Each test batch contains a unique combination of elements being tested and makes up a portion of the overall mailing. After the entire mailing is dropped, responses from each test batch are tracked to determine the performance of the tested elements.

When Does Direct Mail Works Best

Direct mail offers marketers several advantages over other advertising media. It provides a high degree of measurability, for example, which in turn allows for extensive testing. Of course, for direct mail to work well the direct marketer must be able to identify the target audience and create or rent the appropriate mailing lists to reach them. Direct mail also gives marketers control over the sales message and allows them to present a great deal of information about a product or service in the sales letter and brochure. Repeat mailings can be done to take advantage of the product's or service's potential for repeat sales as well as to sell related goods and services to the same lists. While direct marketing has grown over the years to employ a variety of advertising media as they became available, such as the telephone, broadcast media, and print media, it is direct mail that remains the most heavily used medium in direct marketing today.

For a free consultation on your direct mail business needs and what Emerson Direct can do for your business, you can go to our Emerson Direct Contact page or call us at 239-254-0175. Click here, To find out more about why direct response marketing is important and why it should include Emerson Direct. Or to find out the latest on Emerson Direct's Marketing blog, click here.