5 Types of Direct Marketing

5 Types of Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is a form of marketing that engages directly with the customer as opposed to marketing through and advertising middle-man and marketing to the masses. The core concept of direct marketing is aiming marketing efforts towards a targeted audience that may have an interest in purchasing the company’s products and/or services. A 2019 study determined that direct marketing has a 29% return on investment.

There are several different types of direct marketing, but this article will focus on the top five most used and most successful strategies. 

Direct mail

Direct mail is a more personalized approach that is both versatile and flexible. The business can direct the mail to a home or business address and personalize the mail, as well as scale up or down on efforts. It is relatively inexpensive but has been proven to be very effective. Examples include:

Direct selling

This approach involves directly going to each customer’s place of residence to introduce a product and/or service. It is a cost-effective method of informing the client of the benefits of the product, any promotions, as well as addressing any questions the client may have.

Social media marketing

Social media marketing is an excellent method of reaching new clients. Plus, it’s free. There are a variety of social media platforms that can be used to promote products/ services and advertise special offers. 

Email marketing

A business can promote its products by sending out emails directly to customers. Customers have the option to subscribe to the emailing list of the company or, alternatively, the business may approach a mailing list service to purchase a verified emailing list. 

Internet marketing

As the name implies, internet marketing makes use of the internet and algorithms to promote products directly to consumers that search for similar products. It is extremely effective, but can be somewhat pricey. 

You can use this calculator to estimate the return on investment of your direct marketing efforts.