Much of the advertising you see on a daily basis is traditional, nothing more than a memorable image, a few lines of information and a suggestion that you should perhaps follow up on the ad and support the business that it is attempting to market. We see this kind of advertising every day, and it’s certainly effective. However, it is somewhat passive. Traditional advertising is fueled by hope. Direct response advertising is fueled by action. There’s no better way to measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign than utilizing direct response ads. Rather than simply implanting the idea of your utilizing your business in the future in the head of a potential client, direct response advertising calls upon them to take the initiative and engage with your business in the present. Due to the nature of this advertising, it’s easy to measure whether a particular ad is effective or not solely based upon the amount of action in generates among your potential client base. Direct response is more demanding, but it’s also more immediate, and it can be an extremely effective tool if properly utilized. There are many methods by which you can engage your clients with direct response marketing. Here are some of them:
- 800 Numbers: Also known as toll free numbers, phone numbers beginning with 1-800 are a powerful tool for any business to have at their disposal. Firstly, they allow anyone anywhere in the country to call you for free, without having to worry about long distance charges. Plus, 800 numbers simply sound professional. We associate such numbers with strong, well-established businesses. Having an 800 number gives your business more validity in the eyes of the average consumer, and that’s nothing to scoff at.
- Vanity Numbers: The problem with 800 numbers are in fact the digits which follow that eponymous “area code”. They’re just not as memorable. The 800 has impact, but the rest of the numbers are easily forgotten. You can change that fact by using a vanity number. Look on just about any phone and you’ll see several small letters above each number. These letters can be used to spell out words. Choose a simple word which relates directly to your company and you’ll instantly have a much more memorable phone number.
- Strong Calls to Action: All advertising is requesting a certain action from the viewing party: drive this car, eat this food, smoke this cigarette, watch this movie and so on. However, advertising can be far more direct than that as well. Implementing a strong call to action can be a great way to get clients engaged. This can be something as simple as leaving a widget next to a piece of content that allows them to share it on social media, or asking them to sign up for a weekly newsletter. It can also be more complex. For a creative call to action, why not tell clients that if they dress in a certain costume on a certain day and stop by that they’ll receive a special deal, or that if they call within the next 24 hours they’ll receive an additional item. The possibilities are endless, and RMG Media Solutions can help you with all of them. Call today.