Direct Marketing: Fundamentals and Challenges | sisoc.net

Direct marketing is one of the best marketing techniques a business can use. Direct marketing is sending invitations to surveys and seminars straight to customers. Some of these invitations might also be live product demonstrations and product testing, which potential customers may also be paid for.

Direct marketing techniques in the past extensively used the telephone, mail and the salesman. Through the telephone (telemarketing), people were called by random numbers and call advertisements were heard on the earpiece. This is the same case in the mail, with reply order forms available for potential customers. Salesmen demonstrated the product in front of customers. If they are impressed, then they could purchase the product straight away.

Today?s new techniques make use of the e-mail, chat and Internet marketing techniques. Companies could send out business cards, brochures and invitations through these networks. Customers are usually directed to the company?s website, where video demonstrations and order forms are readily available. Direct marketing today is cheaper as well.

The advantages of direct marketing allow marketers to measure market response to products based on a sample rate. For example, for every 100 invitations, 30 customers respond negatively while 20 respond positively. It makes for easy measurement about customer satisfaction with products. It can also double as a survey.

The new direct marketing techniques are facing new challenges. With unsolicited e-mails, many people were concerned about the security of their e-mail services. Laws were put in place to prevent unsolicited email from reaching customers. Some invitations also contained viruses that plagued computers. Display advertisements in website are not as effective as television or radio advertisements and calls and text messages on mobile phones were rejected instantly.

To date, direct marketing is still present in most marketing practices. While still effective, businesses will need to invest to overcome the challenges presented by the laws and consumer behavior.

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Source: http://www.sisoc.net/marketing-direct/direct-marketing-fundamentals-and-challenges/

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