DIRECT MARKETING BUSINESS STRATEGIES

Direct marketing business strategies, often also referred to as B-to-B direct marketing can attribute success to five key principles. When developing your direct marketing business strategies, keep these strategies as a top priority as they are relevant to your marketing success.

One key principle of direct marketing business strategies is to always facilitate direct marketing as a selling process. This is where direct marketing business strategies differ from general marketing to a consumer. B-to-B direct marketing is not designed to increase brand awareness, position, entertain or enlighten.

A second key principle of direct marketing business strategies is to make the return on investment (ROI) your main target. Your goal should not be in changing mind set, but changing behavior. Only this action will lead to generating a lead or making a sale, which directly contributes to return on investment. In order to achieve the goal of return on investment you must set the following targets before your creative design is begun: revenue targets, closing rate targets and response rate targets, cost per lead targets and total budgets.

A third key principle of direct marketing business strategies is to use what is known as the “Reader Doesn’t Care” rule. Many forms of marketing communication projects a level of anticipation and excitement (also known as hype) that really isn’t there. Build your direct marketing business strategies around the ideas that the prospect doesn’t care about your company. The prospect does not care about your product or service. The prospect does not care about anything you have to tell them or sell them. If you base your development and strategies using these assumptions you will still bring in those who buy because they simply love to buy and those who buy out of desperation. More importantly these assumptions can lead you to bring in the marginal buyers also known as “fence sitters” – this is where the direct marketing competition is won or lost.

The forth key principle of direct marketing business strategies is to make your copy appeal to the buyer’s emotions, such as guilt, anger, fear, exclusivity, greed and salvation. They may not care what your product does, but they will care about what your project will do for them.

The fifth and final key of successful direct marketing business strategies is to test all hypotheses. Before executing a million dollar direct mail campaign, send out a test mailing, requesting feedback and response. The buyer will tell you how they want to buy; you simply have to test. By sticking to these simple direct marketing business strategies you can secure the direct marketing success of your company.