Direct Marketing: Definition, Types & Examples

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Direct marketing is any marketing that bases itself on direct communication or distribution.
• Direct marketing takes out the middlemen such as advertising media and goes straight to the customers. 
• The majority of direct marketing will be personalized to create a connection with the reader.
• It works by targeting specific prospects who are the likeliest to engage. 

What Is Direct Marketing?

Direct marketing is a form of marketing. It is any marketing that bases itself on direct communication or distribution. This is with individual consumers as opposed to a third party such as mass media. 

Direct marketing takes out the middlemen such as advertising media and goes straight to the customers. 

How Does Direct Marketing Work?

Direct marketing campaigns work by directly communicating with a business’s target audience. These campaigns operate independently of media publications or mass media. They do this by reaching out straight to the people they’re trying to get the attention of. 

The majority of direct marketing will be personalized to create a connection with the reader. This could be done by sending out a mass communication, but with the recipient’s name added in to increase the levels of engagement. 

Another way to increase engagement in direct marketing is through the call to action. This is a section of a message that urges an immediate response by the reader. It could be to call a certain number, click a link, or send a message. Any response that comes via a call to action shows that there has been a positive engagement. 

A direct marketing strategy tends to have a narrow focus. This is because if a message is delivered to a wide audience, it has to be quite broad in nature. These broad messages are easy to ignore and don’t tend to catch the eye of the reader. Whereas a better strategy is by targeting specific prospects who are the likeliest to engage. 

What Are the Different Types of Direct Marketing?

The most common types of direct marketing include: 

• Text messages 
• Phone calls
• Targeted online advertising
• Email promotion or a direct email marketing campaign
• Newsletters
• Brochures
• Catalogs
• Fliers
• Coupons

What Is an Example of Direct Marketing?

Let’s say that Company X is selling baby strollers. Instead of going through a mass media approach, they decide to directly market to their audience. 

Instead of sending out a general email to an online customer list, they research their market to find people who have recently become parents. With this detailed information that has been gathered, they can specifically target this market with a personalized message and offer. 

Summary

Direct marketing efforts are effective marketing tools. They are a successful way to reach out and engage with potential customers. It’s also a far more cost-effective way to market a product or service to people who are more likely to engage with the offer. Giving it a good return on investment