Seven Ways to Get Greater Results from Your Direct Response Program
By John Gumas
More results. Better-qualified leads. Greater return on investment. Anyone who has ever developed direct response marketing, in any form, has undoubtedly heard one or more of these requests before. So, what's a marketer to do?
In an effort to help you not only answer these requests, but deliver upon them, we have put together what we feel are seven surefire strategies that you need to consider when creating your next direct response marketing program:
1. Always Remember the Basics: a. Make sure your offer is made at the beginning b. Clearly tell targets what they will get and how they will benefit c. Tell them what action they must do d. Set a deadline e. Give as many ways as possible to respond
2. Make Your Offer as Strong as Possible - Most direct response programs must have an offer to be successful. Commonsense tells us the more compelling the offer, the better the results. Yes, offering a larger discount will get more response than a smaller discount. But before you start giving away too much of your margin, get creative. Find out what your target wants. For example, look into win-win partnerships with other companies, such as "Buy a driver from us and get a free putter from them"; "Order new doors from us and get a free hardware upgrade from them." Get the picture?
3. Why Won't People Buy? - You need to do your research and find out. Call them and ask them why they didn't respond. Get the specifics. Imagine what you could do armed with this information.
4. Tell the World Why Others Buy - Testimonials from satisfied customers can be powerful. Consider using real customers to tell their stories. Done right, they can be just the nudge it takes to get others to buy.
5. Test - Test lists, headlines, copy and offers
6. Adjust Your Website - We are talking about more than just good optimization here. Make sure your website works closely with your direct response program. Or, better yet, consider a special landing page designed specifically for each direct response program.
7. Don't Forget Your Brand - Don't get caught up in the tactics of your offer. Remember to be true to your overall brand and what it stands for.
And just one final thought: It's not how much you spend, but how much you will earn that counts. As you put your budget together, consider the lifetime value of a customer versus the one-time cost of the direct response program. This may help you justify the investment it will take to be successful.
There are many more elements to successful direct response advertising, but if you include what we outlined above, you will be well on your way to greater results.
April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue