Direct response marketing, marketing that actually asks people to take action (pick up the phone, place an order, request more information, click through), is fundamentally the only type of marketing a small business ought to worry about.
It’s all we do. Small businesses, the type of clients we work with, are interested in generating leads, not just building awareness. We generate leads! Isn’t that why you’re here?!
But what about branding? If your marketing budget isn’t seven figures, don’t worry about branding. If your marketing firm does its job, if it’s generating leads for you, it is also creating a consistent brand message and image for you.
This may sound obvious, but most ad agencies do very, very little direct resonse advertising. It is very, very different than image advertising. FYI: make sure you know what type of experience you’re hiring.
Google Adwords is direct response marketing at its most pure: 95 characters, including spaces. That’s all General Motors gets. That’s all you get. I love the challenge! And I’m only one of 320 people in the U.S. who can call themselves a Qualified Google Adwords Professional.
If you put things in the mail, if you have a presence on the internet, if you sell things to humans, you are in the direct response business. Like it or not.
Direct response marketing is what keeps me up at night. It’s what gets me up early. Need leads? Run, do not walk, to the nearest phone and call me: 480-948-0029. Or just send me an email.
