Somehow over the past several years, a great number of businesses have neglected the effectiveness of direct marketing in favor of digital ads online. Unfortunately, this may be because they received a message that was never meant to be implied. There is room for both digital marketing and direct marketing and, in fact, working in tandem means the two can capture an even larger portion of the target audience than when run alone.
This is something that Matthew Goodchild, founder of Edge Connect, has seen quite frequently when developing marketing campaigns for his clients. “Even in our current market where we deal heavily with IT and telecommunications, there is plenty of room for direct marketing.” He goes on to say that you will often see direct mailings in your post box from new Internet providers, even though they operate their services in the digital realm.
“It begins with knowing your market,” he says of the first M in a 3M strategy. “It is important to narrow down your target audience to those who would most likely be in the market for faster or more reliable connectivity. Once you’ve analyzed your target audience, it’s time to create the message. “This is much the same as we do every day for our online marketing with the only difference being the medium through which it is being delivered.”
That brings us to the third, and final M in the 3M marketing strategy, medium. Just because a piece of marketing is going to be sent through the United States Postal Service doesn’t always mean they will be the same. Some are postcards and others will be sent in an envelope. “It’s just as important to analyze what kind of medium is likely to get their attention as it is the message it contains.”
“We always strive to do a thorough analysis of the market prior to finalizing a 3M strategy,” he concludes. Matthew also wants businesses to understand that no one ever meant to forego direct marketing. When it comes to a local market area, direct marketing can be some of the most successful strategies employed today. “It’s a matter of understanding the process,” he explains and that is where a marketing firm can be of extreme advantage. They are experts in the field of data analysis so if it can work in your market area, they are the pros who will have that information.