The difference between advertising and direct advertising is with direct advertising, the advertiser knows who the recipient is. In other words, the company has the specific name and address or other contact information on the person the business is sending the advertisement. The four primary types of direct advertising include direct mail marketing, telemarketing, direct email marketing and direct mobile or text messaging marketing.
Direct marketing in the form of regular mail can wind up in the mailbox in several different formats. A postcard or self-mailing brochure addressed to one of the individuals living in the home are two formats of direct advertising that may reach the intended audience. Some businesses choose to write a sales letter, slide these letters into envelopes, which may or may not contain other marketing information, and mail this to someone specific in the home. This is another form of direct advertising.
One of the advantages of using hard copy mail pieces is that even if the individual the piece is addressed to has moved, there is still a chance that the piece reaches the current resident of the property. This is why some direct mail pieces are addressed to a specific person or the current resident.
Telemarketing is another type of direct marketing. Many companies use contact lists of customers that have previously made a purchase from them in order to obtain a repeat purchase or to try to get the customer to upgrade to the next product or service level. Telemarketers may also purchase lists of specific contacts that have bought similar or complementary products or services to its own products or services. This increases the likelihood that a phone call to these individuals will produce a sale for them.
As technology continues to advance so do the options of direct advertising. Email marketing is another form of direct advertising. When an email recipient has subscribed or opted in to receive information from the business, company or commercial entity, their communications become direct advertising.
Similar to this type of email marketing, text messaging and mobile phone advertising is another form of direct marketing. As individuals can subscribe to receive marketing emails, individuals can also subscribe to receive similar advertising and marketing options in the form of a text message or other form of direct advertising on the individual’s cell phone.
