10 Tips for Direct Marketers

Here are some simple tips to improve your direct marketing

Each year, a website called AdCracker.com, conducts and annual survey among its membership. A recent survey produced 10 tips for direct marketers:

1. Make stronger offers: But "giving more" does not have to mean "spending more." It does mean creating offers and promotions that are useful or interesting to prospects.

Whether you are big or small, look for partners to share costs. Also, keep in mind that different segments with varying demographics/psychographics will respond to different offers.

2. Mind the basics: This can be particularly crucial for multinationals such as Citigroup. The campaign that starts in Hong Kong with, "Open a business account and pay no fees for one year" can become, "Citibank smiles every month" in Seoul.

So feature your offer up front. Tell readers or listeners what they will get in unambiguous terms. Tell them how they will benefit. Tell them what to do, what action to take by when. And provide multiple ways for them to respond. It's a formula that works in any language.

3. Budget based on lifetime value: Don't focus on what you spend but on what you will earn over time. Calculate value based on all the products and services they will purchase from your company over the long term. Spend more on higher-value prospects and be sure to calculate, and factor into your results, the lifetime value of the customer.

4. Improve the value: A complete direct response program includes plans to identify prospects and turn them into customers; turn customers into better, more profitable customers; and turn your best customers into evangelists.

You're doing that, right?

5. Test: Perhaps you test multiple offers. At different times of the year. With different segments of your list or audience.

But do you have plans to test different media or technology, such as digital video on your Web site? Or a brochure on CD? Or downloadable white papers? Or different Web pages to compare conversion rates?.

Don't get stuck testing variations of the same offer. Think outside the grid.

6. Reflect the brand: It is rare to find good communications between the DM staff down the hall and the brand team on the third floor. Or between your direct agency and creative shop.

Share with your DM team and vendors the brand's personality, nature of the brand's relationship with customers as well as the visual standards and symbols that represent your brand. Then express those brand characteristics in your DM communications.

7. Innovate: Encourage creativity. Learn better ways to brainstorm. Reward unconventional thinking. It was Peter Drucker who said business has two imperatives, innovation and marketing.

8. Optimize your Web site: Not only with search engine-friendly keywords and copy. But optimize your Web page to work hand-in-hand with your direct marketing program.

Examples: Use your Web site to deliver offers, such as PDF downloads of your brochure. Or printable discount coupons. Or stream product demo videos -- now easier than ever with Flash video.

9. Learn why people say "No." Find out why people do not respond to your offer. Why they abandon your online order form. Why they do not ask you for a proposal on their next project. Then counter those reservations.

10. Broadcast why people say "Yes." Get testimonials. Build case studies. Use real people, real users, real customers in your advertising.

Steve McNamara is creative director at McNamaraCreative.com, where you'll find samples of the work referenced in this article. His e-mail address is mc@adcracker.com.