8-Pronged Direct-Response Marketing Plan To Build Your List!

Direct-response marketing consists of four primary elements:

1. An offer
For list building, this is typically a free premium (digital or physical).

2. Sufficient information for the consumer to make a decision to act

3. An explicit “call to action”

4. A means of response
Commonly used direct-response marketing channels include: BRCs (Business Reply Cards), Unique or Generic 800 #’s, Email, Your Website (form), and Personalized or Generic Landing Pages.

Interactive, visual, content-focused, easy for your respondents to use, and more… Personalized or Generic Landing Pages – in most instances – are clearly the most effective direct-response channels to deliver your offer, marketing message, and explicit “call to action” and to collect valuable data and opt-ins from potential customers, using an opt-in form and survey.

Potential customers typically access your landing page via a Personalized URL (PURL) printed on a direct mail piece or via a Generic URL (GURL) garnered from a mass marketing medium, such as a print or web advertisement. A PURL, typically structured as [www.specialoffer.com/JaneSmith] (for example), leads to a landing page that continues the personalization with each prospect’s name and any other variable text, links, images, etc. that the marketer (you) chooses to include. A GURL, structured like any traditional domain name: [www.specialoffer.com] (for example), leads to a static (“same to all”) landing page. Both types of landing pages are designed for effective lead and/or data capture.

Here is an 8-pronged direct-response marketing plan that you can use to attract potential customers to your landing page or other direct-response marketing channel — right through to your list:

1. Direct Mail Direct mail is traditionally the strongest direct-response medium. When it comes to direct mail, postcards typically offer the highest return on investment. Postcards are inexpensive, and year after year, study after study shows that postcards get noticed and read more and yield higher response rates than other types of direct mail. Also, not surprisingly, oversized postcards yield higher response rates on average than standard sized postcards.

The potential to dramatically increase postcard response rates, however, occurs when there is the addition of two simple 21st century marketing technologies: variable data print (VDP), which allows personalized direct mail pieces to be printed for each unique recipient – using just one print run, and Personalized URLs (PURLs). A VDP postcard featuring a PURL as the “call to action” might display the following message for a specific recipient: “Hello Jane! Please visit your personalized URL at: [www.specialoffer.com/JaneSmith]”

According to a Direct Marketing Association (DMA) study, 1 in every 2 people prefers to respond to direct mail communications ONLINE.

2. Your Website Setting up an informational website is not enough no matter what business you’re in; it is crucial that you have an effective way to capture at least the first names and email addresses of your site visitors. To capture your website visitors most effectively, have your web designer place an opt-in box – linked to your chosen email autoresponder system – prominently on every page of your website. Alternatively, you can incite your website visitors to click on an ad for your free offer and/or email newsletter that will then take them directly to your landing page.

3. Blogging Create your blog on a highly customizable blogging platform, such as WordPress. Post to your blog regularly to optimize search engine visibility and rankings. Also post comments on other people’s/companies’ blogs often, and include links back to your own blog. You can also include, within your signature, a short “call to action” to receive your free offer and/or email newsletter by visiting either your landing page or website.

4. Article Marketing Write helpful articles to publish on free online article submission sites, such as ezinearticles.com. At the bottom of all your articles, include a short bio or description of your business along with your “call to action” for your free offer and/or email newsletter and the link to your landing page or website.

5. Video Marketing Create a free YouTube account and upload short, interesting videos of you talking about your area of expertise. Where appropriate, you can end your videos with a “call to action” to visit your landing page where visitors can then enter their name, email address, and any other data to receive your free offer and/or email newsletter; register for your teleseminar, webinar, or other event; learn more about your product, program, or service; etc.

6. Online & Offline Ads Does your industry niche have a popular networking site, online or print publication, TV network, or radio station that would be worthy of you placing an ad in? If yes, you can make your ad promotion’s “call to action” be to visit a link leading to an informational page (such as your company website), or even better, a landing page that allows you to capture information quickly and begin the relationship-building/sales process.

7. Social Networking
Social Media Sites (Online): When it comes to social media sites, most experts agree that sticking to the top two (or three) – Facebook and Twitter (and LinkedIn) – is the most effective use of your time and marketing/relationship-building efforts. Of course, focus on the social media site(s) where your target market is most prevalent. If they’re on MySpace, focus your social media marketing efforts there. Within any of your social media site profiles, be sure to prominently display your “call to action” for your free offer and/or email newsletter and the link to your landing page or website.

Live Networking Events (Offline): Business cards are the most efficient way to pass on your information to those interested in working with you or keeping in touch with you after an event. Put your contact information (name, title, main company name and website address, etc.) and photo (if relevant) on the front side of your business card, and don’t forget your social media pages’ web addresses. Then you can use the back of your business cards as a pocket-sized ad for your free offer and/or email newsletter with your landing page’s web address.

8. Teleseminars & Webinars Offer a free teleseminar or webinar to grow your list and boost your sales! Choose a topic that you feel your prospects, customers, and clients would be interested in and that relates to your business and expertise. You can give the same teleseminar/webinar live every month for as long as the topic is relevant, or you can give teleseminars/webinars on different topics depending on a hot new issue or a new program, product, service, or event you’re offering. Create a landing page for each of your teleseminars/webinars so that you can require potential attendees to register with their name, email address, and any other data you wish to collect. Then have an automated email sent out to registrants with all of the call-in/login details.

(C) 2010 Daydreamer Enterprises, LLC

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