First impressions often stick, and sometimes the most effective approach is the direct one. Direct response marketing encourages instant action in order to quickly generate leads. This makes it different to traditional marketing, which is focused more on building brand awareness in the long term. While other marketing strategies focus on building rapport with users, direct response is geared towards turning them into customers in a single step.
Direct response is a cost-effective approach that’s easy to track and can deliver overnight results, or at least quickly build your brand awareness among a high number of new customers. However, due to its benefits, the market is now full of brands employing direct response marketing strategies. To stand out, you need to use these strategies effectively and offer products and services that warrant action.
As a full-service digital marketing agency, Anchor Digital is experienced in all forms of marketing, including the direct approach. Here’s our guide to the best direct response strategies and how you can use them to drive fast action.
What is Direct Response Marketing?
Direct response marketing is marketing that encourages users to take immediate action through strategies like a clear call to action (CTA) and a compelling offer. This action can be anything from reading a blog post to clicking a link to signing up for an email newsletter to making a purchase. While there are no limits to the creativity you can bring to direct response, some frequently used examples include “buy one get one free” and “get 10% off your first purchase”. Limited-time email promotions, free trial offers, downloadable resources and webinar sign-ups are all types of direct response that pop up over and over again in online spaces.
Direct response is an easily transferable form of marketing that remains effective across multiple platforms like digital, social, email, radio, print and TV. As long as a marketing approach has certain essential elements, like a solid call-to-action, it’s a direct response.
Key Elements of Direct Response Ads
The main distinction between direct response and other forms of marketing is that direct response is designed to drive a specific action. To be good at its job, direct response marketing should contain the following elements:
A customer-centric approach
When it comes to direct response, the focus is not on the brand but on the customer and the problems you can solve for them. Your content and strategies should be designed to offer value to your users.
A compelling call-to-action
Since a direct response ad is designed to motivate a user to take a specific action, a strong call-to-action is crucial. Strong direct-response ads need equally strong and straightforward CTAs so users immediately know exactly what kind of action to take.
A personalised approach
For the direct approach to work, you need to tailor your offer to your target audience. 80% of customers are more likely to do business with a brand that offers personalised experiences, so it’s important to know your target audience well.
Urgency
People have a tendency to put things off, especially things that cost money. Direct response ads need to inspire users to act quickly by emphasising that the offer is limited, time-sensitive or competitive. When potential customers know they need to make a quick decision, it helps spur them into action and boosts your conversion rates.
Well-written content
Your direct response ad needs to be written plainly enough that anyone who sees it knows exactly what you’re offering and what they need to do. Use elements like active voice and power words, and don’t confuse the user with needless jargon.
Direct Response Marketing Strategies
Launching a successful direct response marketing campaign involves understanding consumer data and analytics so that ads are delivered on the right channels and meet the needs of your audience.
The best approaches to direct response are based on proven strategies that have been shown to inspire action. Some direct response strategies and best practices include:
Personalise
It’s important to stand out among the thousands of other ads and marketing communications that web users see on a daily basis, so it’s important to stand out. Personalisation can make every web user you reach feel like the content was created just for them. Personalising your direct marketing requires that you collect customer data through tools like email surveys and sign-up forms. Customers are more likely to buy from a brand that provides personalised experiences, and someone who has abandoned their cart needs a different approach again. You can personalise based on browser history, past purchase history, location and more.
Make it easy to respond
Customers don’t want to fill out too much information or wait too long for your offer. Make it easy and quick to claim your offer, and you’ll notice the difference in your conversion rates. Excellent offers and simple contact methods simplify the process of allowing users to respond.
Make the call-to-action effective
A CTA is a short prompt that encourages web users to take action. The words you make a difference. Aim for a sense of urgency without being pushy by letting users know the time on your offer is limited. Ensure that you use strong, action-oriented language in your call-to-action (CTA). Place your CTAs at points in the text when users are most likely to take action. You should also make your CTA very specific: ensure that users know exactly what they need to do and how to do it.
You can also make your CTA stand out by making it a different colour and leaving ample white space around it.
A/B test
With A/B testing, you can compare two different versions of your direct response ad to see which one is the highest performer. Unless you’re running multivariate tests, test one element at a time and focus on key areas like headlines, structure, visual elements and call-to-action design and placement. Also test creative text like subject lines and ad copy to see what kind of length, content and tone appeals to potential customers.
Use retargeting ads
Retargeting can convert one-time shoppers into returning shoppers and serial browsers into first-time buyers. Create retargeting ads designed to appeal to individuals who have made multiple visits to your website but haven’t yet made a purchase. Remarketing campaigns typically have much higher engagement rates than new user acquisition campaigns, and a well-timed ad or email can remind previous customers what they loved about your products last time.
Effective Direct Response Marketing with Anchor Digital
Anchor Digital can provide you with any kind of marketing you need to see your business thrive, including direct response marketing strategies. As the digital marketing industry continues to evolve, we stay up to date with the changes and modify our approach as necessary.
The right approach to online marketing starts with the right digital marketing strategy. Sometimes, nailing the right strategy means building your brand identity from scratch, identifying your unique selling proposition (USP) and gathering info on your target demographics.
As a full-service creative marketing agency, Anchor can help you identify what you do best and demonstrate it powerfully to your chosen demographics. With our brand positioning, we can emphasise your most unique and favourable qualities and present them to your ideal market. We’ll help you clarify your goals and target audience so you can grow with a strategy backed by data.
To find out more, call 1300 971 392, email info@anchordigital.com.au or get in touch with Anchor online.
