The world of marketing is filled with various strategies. But there is no one strategy that is applicable in all situations. So if you’re new to marketing or if you’re just a business owner who wants to make their small business a bit more famous than before, then you’re going to need to learn the fundamentals.
In this article, we will discuss two fundamental marketing strategies. We’re talking about direct and indirect marketing. We will be explaining how each strategy works and how you can implement them in your company. We will also give you an example of each strategy so you can specifically choose one for your company.
Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is a form of marketing that addresses a target audience. Sometimes this form of marketing will also help you find a target audience for your product. However, this marketing strategy is so direct because you want your consumers to take action right away. So technically, your advertisements in direct marketing tell your audience to purchase a product or a service.
The main advantage of direct marketing is that it can drive sales when your product is well-known and your branding is top-notch. It’s an excellent way to reap the rewards of your brand building, and no other form of marketing can deliver on sales other than direct marketing.
The main disadvantage of direct marketing is that it can’t drive sales without good branding. People aren’t going to purchase your product if they don’t know what makes it so good.
So ultimately, you need to make investments before you get into direct marketing. One of the best ways to utilize direct marketing is through telemarketing.
Telemarketing
Telemarketing is the most human way to advertise your product. Essentially, your people go out there, call people’s numbers and talk about your product. At the end of the call, there is usually a call for action, asking if the customer would like to purchase the product or service.
It’ll cost your business millions of dollars if you want to dedicate an entire department to this kind of marketing. So instead, consider outsourcing your telemarketing campaign. Many companies specialize in this field and at a fraction of the price of building your department. It’s a worthwhile strategy if you want to drive more direct sales to your business.
There are so many forms of direct marketing. Some traditional forms of marketing, such as TV marketing, are considered a form of direct marketing.
TV Marketing
About 71% of the population in the US watches television. That’s how big your audience is when you utilize this kind of marketing. However, it’s a pretty expensive form of marketing, but one that’s worthwhile if you want a boost in sales. It’s considered the money grabber for big companies, especially if they’re introducing a new product in the market.
Indirect Marketing
Unlike direct marketing, indirect marketing doesn’t address a target audience, nor does it have a call for action. Instead, what indirect marketing has is content about your business. Specific goals, aspirations, and information are all forms of indirect marketing. It can even be said that the mission-vision of your company is a form of indirect marketing.
The main advantage of indirect marketing is branding. You get people to like your company through this form of marketing. It won’t drive sales, but it will undoubtedly help you get your brand get recognized.
The main disadvantage of this kind of marketing is that you can never ascertain if it’s successful or not since you can’t get direct sales from this kind of marketing, you can’t weigh in whether your marketing strategy was a success or not.
One prevalent form of indirect marketing is social media marketing.
Social Media Marketing
There are about three billion social media users in the world. That’s a huge untapped market for you to build your brand.
Social media marketing works so well in building a brand because people get to see your company for what it is. You can also consider blogging and posting your blogs in your company’s profile. These blogs can range from humor to self-help tips. It’s always good to bring in such content so people can get interested in your business.
Once they’re interested, they can become a loyal follower. They might even purchase your products in the market.
A combination of indirect and direct marketing is an excellent way to drive sales and grow your company. Use indirect marketing to build your brand. Then, once people recognize your brand, use direct marketing to get them buying. It’s a known and tested strategy, and it won’t fail you if you execute it properly.