Direct marketing represents a planned and organized system that uses various media supports in the attempt to build a two-way information exchange - from and to customers or potential customers. This form of marketing involves direct contact between producers and consumers, and of course, like any other marketing activity, its ultimate goal consists in promoting sales, based on a number of specific means (media, television, radio, coupons, direct sales, door to door leaflet marketing, voicemail, and direct mail, advertising campaigns).

Direct marketing allows companies to provide goods and services to a particular segment of population by mail, telephone, email or other direct channels. It is one of the most effective and measurable methods of marketing available currently on the market.

Measurable results are a huge advantage, especially for those who focus on visible effects. You will know exactly how many letters were sent and then you'll able to analyze the number of sales resulted.

It is much cheaper to develop a direct marketing campaign by using the email, because the costs of recruiting members are much lower. Moreover, such a campaign offers you the possibility to make accurate predictions.

Direct marketing can help the company to avoid spending money unnecessarily, because the products can be tested on a targeted audience. Thus, if a product causes negative reactions, being ineffective, it can be improved or replaced. All the studies involved are tested in real conditions, providing concise and relevant results.

Direct marketing offers the change to receive fast reactions from your clients, providing an effective communication. Also, a direct marketing campaign involves low costs, being more effective because you get in touch directly with customers.

This type of marketing, like other activity, has its own rules that must be considered:

Setting clear objectives is essential. Theodore Levitt, the famous marketing guru, describes the process of direct marketing as a way of "attracting and keeping customers." In fact, direct marketing, being based on mail or phone messages, represents a way to build marketing relationships between company and clients.

Clear knowledge of the audience- it is extremely important to know your customers, their interests and problems, in order to communicate effectively with them. It's necessary to learn more about the customers profile, taking into account the minimum knowledge you have about them: industrial or economic sector in which they operate and issues which require to be solved, geographic location, size of organization. Don't forget that direct marketing uses intensively a data base.

Each product or service should send a clear message to customers, making them to buy it. The client must understand why the product is beneficial for him and what makes it to be more effective than other products.

Take into account the existence of a simple interface that allows you to receive feedback from customers.

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