I was fortunate enough to participate in the DMA Institute in Chicago this past week. The seminars are a must for anyone wanting to further their experience in Marketing, both online and off. The following are the 7 Cardinal Rules to Direct Marketing Success:
1. Establish your objective before you start
- Keep it simple – “If you confuse them, you will lose them.” Choices confuse people, keep it simple.
- The 3 second rule – you have three seconds to draw them and 15-20 seconds to validate it, whether it be on the website or in an envelope or magazine.
2. Target the right audience and market segments
- The best possible offer and the best possible creative execution can always fail if you send to the wrong people
- 40-40-20 rule – Its 40% the offer or proposition, 40% the list segmentation (audience), and 20% creative execution
3. Write copy to show what your product will do for the prospect
- What is in for me?
4. Make it easy for your prospect to respond
- call to action and so forth
5. Think Campaign, not 1 shot
- dont be afraid to send a follow up email
- Follow up to the same audience with the same offer within 2-4 weeks can generate 50% or more of the response
6. Research and test every year
- What’s the difference?
- What’s the risk of doing only one or the other?
7. Make your promotions fit your audience and your product.