Direct Marketing: Definition, Types of Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is defined as communicating directly with the targeted customers on an individual basis so that an immediate response can be obtained. Interaction must take place in Direct Marketing, which is called two-way communication.

Types of Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is spreading rapidly and it is done in several ways. Following are the forms of direct Marketing that are employed by most of the organizations in the business community.

• Face-to-Face Selling
• Telemarketing
• Direct Mail Marketing
• Catalog Marketing
• Direct Response Television Marketing
• Kiosk Marketing
• Online Marketing & Electronic Commerce

Now let’s discuss every one of them in detail.

1. Face-to-Face Selling

It is the oldest form of direct marketing or simply marketing in which authorized salespersons are employed by the organizations that meet the prospects directly. These salespersons make efforts to reach the prospects, convert them into profitable customers, develop long-run relationships, and hence promote the business of their organizations.

2. Telemarketing

Telemarketing is a form of direct marketing in which the telephone is used to communicate with the customers to buy the products directly from the sellers. Telemarketing is further divided into the following two types.

• Outbound Telephone Marketing
• Inbound Toll-Free

Outbound Telephone Marketing

Outbound telephone marketing is used to sell products directly to customers by calling them on the telephone.

Inbound Toll-Free

In this type, orders are received from customers on the telephone as a result of ads on television or radio, etc. Many customers admire unsolicited telemarketing, but most of them feel disturbed by receiving such unsolicited sales messages on the telephone.

Therefore, certain legislation is being made for the protection of people from this unsolicited telemarketing during specific hours of the day.

3. Direct Mail Marketing

These forms of direct marketing include direct mail marketing in which an offer, reminder, announcement, or other things are sent to the address of a particular person. Direct one-to-one Communication takes place in direct mail marketing. There are several advantages of using direct mail marketing which are as follows.

• It is much more flexible.
• It is personalized.
• The selection of the target market is high.
• The results are easily measured.

The cost of direct mail marketing is relatively higher than other forms of direct marketing, but in this case, the prospects are quickly converted into potential customers. Direct mail marketing is further divided into the following three types.

• Fax Mail
• E-mail
• Voice mail

4. Catalog Marketing

In catalog marketing, catalogs are mailed to a specified list of customers or provided physical catalogs to a group of people at stores to sell particular products. A catalog is a combination of at least eight printed pages that includes details of multiple products along with the identification of a direct ordering mechanism.

A complete line of goods is offered through catalogs by some stores. Many direct retailers place catalogs of their products on the internet. Internet-based catalogs are passive and therefore need to be marketed electronically.

5۔ Direct Response Television Marketing

There are two forms of direct response television marketing which are as follows.

• Direct Response Advertising
• Home Shopping Channels

Direct Response Advertising

When infomercials or television spots are aired by marketers, direct-response advertising takes place.

Home Shopping Channels

These consist of complete channels or programs specified for selling goods or services.

In the coming years, linkages with the internet technology along with the two-sided interactive television would transform television shopping much more sophisticated than the current type and it would be regarded as one of the most effective forms of direct marketing.

6۔ Kiosk Marketing

Certain organizations have sophisticated machines called kiosks, which provide information about particular products and have an effective ordering mechanism. These kiosk machines are placed in the main area of the cities like airports, stores, and other famous locations. Some business marketers also place their kiosk machines at trade shows for the promotion of their products.

Moreover, the merger of the real world with the virtual world of commerce is making kiosks as much more online in nature. An example of this modern technology includes the Gap interactive kiosk.

7۔ Online Marketing & Electronic Commerce

One of the effective forms of direct marketing is online marketing & electronic commerce, which is carried out completely in an electronic way. There are online computer systems that connect customers with the seller in an online manner so that they can make transactions.

Online marketing & electronic commerce is further divided into the following two forms.

• Commercial Online Services
• Internet

Commercial Online Stores

The information and marketing services are offered by the authorized commercial online service provider which charges a monthly fee for its subscribers. An example of this type is America Online.

Internet

With the advancement in the information technology field, now the old commercial online service is replaced by the highly advanced internet which serves as a basic online marketing channel. The internet is composed of a large number of different networks of computers that are connected. For a meeting of sellers and buyers over the internet, World Wide Web serves as a popular place of meeting.