{"id":4520,"date":"2021-10-27T18:30:28","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T15:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snov.io\/glossary\/?p=4520"},"modified":"2023-04-10T23:08:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T20:08:04","slug":"direct-response-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snov.io\/glossary\/direct-response-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Direct response marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Marketing expenses of big corporations are mind-boggling \u2014 you can compare these with the GDP of a small country or the cost of a space rocket. Imagine: in just one quarter, Disney can spend $245 million<\/a> on advertising alone! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CMOs of various US companies say marketing expenses fluctuate between 6.5 to 11% of revenue. Moreover, in case of downturn or stagnation, marketing budgets are usually cut last. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judging by these statistics, it’s clear that handling marketing is expensive. Does it mean that without investing millions in it, you shouldn’t even dream about leads and sales? Of course, not. But you need to consider different promotion<\/a> options, and direct response marketing is one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is direct response marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Direct response marketing<\/strong> is a promotion tactic aimed to evoke an immediate desirable response from customers. This responsive action may be in whatever form \u2014 registration on the website, filling in a particular contact form, visiting a web page, or adding products to an online shopping cart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oftentimes, the target action is to purchase something or download the promoted app. This is why the transition from lead to sales happens almost instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the difference between direct response and traditional marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Direct response marketing is opposite to traditional marketing theories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latter can be summarized this way: customer’s purchase decision develops gradually, and sales are preceded by a long process of brand building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, in direct response marketing, sales can be generated in momentum. All you need to do is come up with the right call to action<\/a> for the right audience at the right time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s all about hitting the bull’s eye. Instead of a prolonged preparatory stage of building brand awareness, in some cases, it’s more practical to create strong proposals that make people want to buy immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can draw a parallel with impulsive purchases in a physical store. Merchandisers usually place small cheap goods near the checkout, such as chocolate bars, gums, or Coke. Every time people stand in a queue, they tend to grab some of these snacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this model, consumers’ choice isn’t made by a deliberate decision; rather, it’s due to the timeliness and convenience of a proposal. A similar idea is at the core of direct response marketing \u2014 to make an offer the client wouldn’t refuse. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Email<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Direct response marketing aspects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Direct response marketing offer usually includes three essential aspects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The product<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your offer is not just a commodity or a service itself \u2014 it’s a combination of quality, price, discounts, purchasing terms, additional maintenance, time to finalize buying deals, etc. There are no minor details when it comes to immediate selling \u2014 petty overlooking may break the entire scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The argumentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aside from what<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>you ask to do, there should be solid arguments of why<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>the customer should do what you ask. To put it simply, you have to highlight the benefits. Use either financial or reputation perks to push the purchase, or their combination. The only matter is to choose benefits that are fairly relevant to your target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The call to action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The third crucial aspect for direct-response offers is a call to action. “Sign up to get $10 free,” “Start 7-day free trial,” “Download from App Store,” “Claim 50% discount”<\/em> \u2014 use self-explanatory CTAs and avoid boring phrases like “Click”<\/em> or “Buy.”<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n

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Paid subscription ad message (Source: Disney+)<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Disney Plus campaigns are one of the best direct response marketing examples. Their promotional message for a subscription plan includes all three aspects:
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