Direct mail has been replaced by email. Advertising has been trumped by content marketing and social media.
New technology and new media are quickly putting traditional marketing tactics (and those who use them) out of commission. But has it changed all that much? Can direct response still drive results?
Direct response is still the goal
Regardless of the medium used, direct response is still the goal of marketing. Why? Because direct response is about generating results. And we still want results.
Think about the typical call to action:
- Visit our website.
- Click here.
- Get your fr*ee report now.
They all ask for immediate action. According to BusinessDictionary.com, that’s the definition of direct response advertising:
“Promotional method in which a prospective customer is urged to respond immediately and directly to the advertiser, through the use of a ‘device’ provided in the advertisement. These devices (called direct response mechanisms) include a (1) coupon to cut and mail, (2) business reply card, (3) toll-free telephone number, or, on the internet, (4) hotspot to click. Most retail sale advertisements are direct response ads in one way or the other.”
Did you catch the last sentence? With the exception of brand advertising, most of our communications are direct response. So the questions isn’t whether direct response works, but whether we can still get results with our traditional copywriting techniques.
Once you learn the medium, results remain the same
Regardless of the delivery method, the techniques for making people respond are pretty much the same. Robert Cialdini’s research on persuasion has demonstrated that you’ll still get results if you use proven principles of persuasion.
Marketing results are the bottom-line measure of success in a marketing campaign. And yes, our methods have changed. We now integrate online, email and social media for an interactive campaign that builds trust and moves the prospect quickly toward the sale.
But the old techniques still work. In fact, by utilizing tried-and-true direct response techniques in your new media and high-tech communications, you’re likely to hit a home run.
Need help getting better results on your marketing? I specialize in techniques that have been proven to increase response rates. Contact me today if you’d like to learn more.
photo credit: soukup
