How to Create a Great Direct Marketing Offer, Part 2
My previous blog post was about the basics of creating a direct marketing offer: What the offer is about, types of offers, and the difference between soft and hard offers. This post is about what to offer to generate higher response to your direct marketing campaign.
No matter what you’re selling via direct marketing, you should always offer something of value, a commitment the prospect can make with confidence, and a reason for the prospect to act NOW.
What to Offer to Drive Sales
If the goal of your direct marketing campaign is to produce orders for a product, consider an offer based on:
- A special, limited-time price;
- Volume or quantity discounts;
- A continuity order, where the customer agrees to receive products automatically over a specified time period, usually at a preferred price;
- A premium or gift with the order.
What to Offer to Generate Leads
To generate leads for your product or service that will be followed up by your sales team or distributors, create an offer for your direct marketing campaign based on:
- More information about the product or service and its use in various situations;
- A free sample of the product;
- A no-risk, free trial of the product or service over a short period of time;
- A free assessment or evaluation;
- Information of value related to the product or service, such as a tip sheet, guidelines, case study, or white paper.
What to Offer to Drive Retail Traffic
To generate retail or dealership traffic, create a direct marketing offer based on immediate savings, limited-time value, or a can’t-miss event:
- Free gift with in-store trial or purchase;
- Free gift or bonus to the first X number of customers who come to the store;
- Limited-time discount on the purchase (typically via a coupon);
- Buy one, get one half-off or free;
- Invitation to a private sales event for select customers;
- Invitation to an in-store event with a special guest, celebrity, food, or entertainment.
Missy
Really enjoyed your article above and found the suggestions about your direct marketing offers to be very helpful and relevant. The fact is that many (if not most) people are looking for something truly appealing. I recently wrote a blog about the use of free assessments (http://bit.ly/c5BuGs) and wanted to get your thoughts on that.