Marketing is one important aspect of a business that takes time and money to execute. Campaigns that bring desired results are typically not so easy to make. This may be due to how unpredictable the human mind is among several other factors.
Hence, businesses that are looking to push their sales up often consider several approaches to marketing. There are several types of marketing so several businesses find it difficult to figure out which one would be the best approach for them. Read this post to find out the various types of marketing available today.
Some companies often decide to go with the more traditional direct-mail approach, while others prefer online marketing. But the question of which one of them is the best approach often pops up every once in a while. In this article, we will be exploring these two marketing approaches to try and give a more definite answer to this question. First, we are going to individually discuss them, and then we can move forward from there.
Traditional Direct-Mail Marketing
Just as the name implies, direct-mail involves reaching potential customers or individuals directly via mails. For this approach to be successful, measurements have to be taken seriously to make sure everything is put into position for improvements to be made.
Direct-Mail Types
This approach can take several types of forms. These forms include:
- Lead letters
- Self-mailers
- Brochures
- Catalogs
- Postcards
When these forms are used adequately, they can generate several responses from the targeted audience.
Online Marketing
Online advertising can also be direct. That is to say, customers can be reached directly without the need for middlemen. However, the major difference between the 2 approaches is the medium through which the information is passed. With online advertising, screen-based mediums are used.
The devices that are used here include smartphones, computers, laptops, and so on. This approach is being used by so many businesses these days and this can be attributed to the fact that so many people spend a lot of time on the internet these days. Visit https://www.statista.com/ to find out more about this. Hence, businesses can reach several potential customers daily and promote their services or products.
Online Marketing Types
Just like with direct mails, online advertising can also come in several forms. Some of the most common forms of this advertising approach include:
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Newsletter advertising
- Banner advertising
- Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and so on.
Direct Mail Vs Online Advertising
To properly analyze these methods, we have to take a closer look at the benefits they both offer. Below we will discuss the major advantages of these two approaches.
Direct Mail Advantages
Direct mail offers several benefits one of which is building customers’ trust in a particular brand. When potential customers get adverts directly mailed to them, they feel important and this would eventually get them to trust the brand.
Eventually, they get to respond to the mail and soon this will increase the brand’s revenue. The response rates of direct mail are consistently higher than that of online advertising. This makes it a very important tool for improving ROI and brand awareness.
You may ignore your inboxes whereas you will always have to check through your physical mails. Because most people will always sort out their direct mails, this approach provides a higher opportunity to cut through the clutter of online ads and email and get seen by people.
Online Advertising Advantages
Perhaps the most significant benefit of online marketing is that it is effective and speedy. You do not just reach your target audience with this approach, but you can also get them to patronize you at the spot.
Let’s assume you sell shoes and someone searches for where they can get shoes, then your online store pops up. They will not just know about your brand now, they can go ahead to buy the shoes right then with a single click. Hence, you will be improving your brand’s visibility, awareness, and sales.
Also, with this method, you get to reach a bigger audience than you can reach through direct mail.
Which Should You Use
In the end, the method you employ should be based on what you need for your business. If you are targeting impulse buyers and you need speedy purchases, then an online marketing strategy can be the best bet for you.
But, if you want to invoke trust and loyalty in your customers, then a direct mail approach may be better. The question therefore should not be whether traditional direct-mail marketing is more effective than online marketing, but which one is better for your business. You can even choose to use both methods as they both work differently to increase sales.
Conclusion
Direct mail involves sending ads to potential customers directly via mails. This is more direct and personalized and tends to invoke trust and loyalty in customers. Online marketing on the other hand reaches more people via screen-based adverts on smartphones, laptops, and other similar devices. Both approaches have their advantages and which one you pick for your business should be based on your business’ needs.
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