All about direct marketing companies

Direct marketing companies specialise in directly contacting your potential clients, in order to persuade them to perform a desired action, from buying your products to giving you their email address for a newsletter. Direct marketing often uses targeted email advertising, outbound telemarketing campaigns or direct mailings to directly approach your prospects in order to create sales or raise your company profile.

How do direct marketing companies work

Unlike traditional marketing companies a direct mail company will proactively contact your customers, through mail, phone or email, and engage with them to generate a conversion. Traditional marketing is passive, waiting for the client to click on an ad or go to a shop, and its message can become diluted on the context on which its seen. A person watching TV or reading a newspaper may not pay much attention to an ad, whereas with direct marketing they will be fully engaged with a phone call from a telemarketer. Direct marketing for business
Direct marketing is often used to either gain or convert business to business leads. Many direct marketing companies create their own b2b telemarketing lists and have entire teams dedicated to research and update business marketing lists for the verticals they work on. By employing them your company can leverage their network and industry knowledge to reach new markets, without having to do all the cold calling and prospecting yourselves. Direct marketing for consumers
Consumers are generally less understanding of unwanted calls, but a good direct marketing company will provide consumer mailing lists that have signed up to receive commercial information. Direct marketing targeted to consumers often relies on newsletters, leaflets and other advertising material that clearly states what is the benefit for the client, such as vouchers or promotions. Direct marketing agencies are experienced in providing this kind of marketing creatives and know what works better for each industry.

Code of conduct

It's important to always employ reputable agencies, otherwise you risk your company reputation. Professional direct marketing companies will have their own mailing or telemarketing lists, instead of having to buy a mailing list that may not be qualified or willing to be contacted. Outbound telemarketing and bulk email marketing have the potential to alienate people who hasn't opted in to be contacted, and reduce the chances they would ever become your clients. Before contacting a direct marketing company make sure they hold themselves to their industry code of conduct.