Today it seems practically impossible to find a company that does not use any direct marketing tool . It is logical when observing that they use agile and economic methods to reach clients in a direct and personalized way. The Direct Marketing Association ( www.thedma.org ) defines direct marketing as: “an interactive marketing system that uses one or more advertising means to achieve a measurable response and / or a commercial transaction at a certain point”. It uses different direct communication channels such as: mailing, emailing, mailboxing or telemarketing. These channels allow you to obtain direct, immediate, measurable, interactive and personalized communication with your current or potential clients.
Main direct marketing tools:
-Mailing: this tool tries to send a brand message (offer, advertisement, etc.) to a person at their postal mail address. Different formats can be used, such as letters, brochures, catalogs and postcards.
In an increasingly digital environment, postal mail becomes more important when we want our communication to be perceived in a special way by the client, given that the message we transmit is carried out through a tangible medium.
-Emailing: it is similar to mailing but this time the message chosen by the brand is sent to an email address. Unlike mailing, emailing is in a digital environment, which translates into direct delivery not only of text and images, but also of sound and video. In addition, at the click of a button and through a link, we can take our target group to a site where they can expand information. You can manage your campaigns with tools offered by web hosting companies or with specialized email marketing platforms. Special care must be taken with mass shipments that have not been requested by customers, since they obtain very low effectiveness rates, can be considered spam and also create a bad brand image.
-Buzzling: it is the direct marketing technique that consists of depositing the brand’s message in the mailboxes of the target audience. The most used elements to transmit your message are magazines, triptychs, leaflets, brochures and cards.
Normally the mailbox is used when a certain business wants to reach customers who are in its range. Common examples range from supermarkets or appliance store chains with their advertising brochures highlighting their monthly offers, to cards or brochures for professional services such as dentists, electricians, etc.
-Telemarketing: Telephone marketing uses the telephone call as a means of communication with the client. It is the direct marketing tool that offers greater adaptability and instantaneousness, since through a call with the customer we can listen to the customer’s needs, and instantly offer those solutions that best suit them. Telemarketing can be used to attract new customers, receive orders, carry out cross-selling , market research or even to offer customer service and after-sales service to our customers.
In addition to mailing, emailing, mailboxing and telemarketing; Originally, fax was also considered a direct marketing tool, but given its limited use and effectiveness, in addition to its probable disappearance in the coming years, I have chosen not to include it in the previous list.
In my opinion these direct communication channels are a double-edged sword, if you do not make proper use of their tools, you can obtain the opposite effect to that desired. Who has not been irritated by a phone call at inappropriate times trying to sell at all costs a product that they do not need? Who has not crumpled an advertising letter without paying the slightest attention? Or who has not marked an email as spam by identifying that the issuer is a trademark that bombards us through mass mailings? Direct marketing has powerful and effective tools, but of course as long as they are used properly.
