The most common and most recognized form of direct marketing is a direct-mail campaign. A database is generated to form a list of potential customers and specific information and promotions are aimed especially for them. This gets information directly into hands of people most likely to purchase products being offered.

Direct marketing offers advantages over other forms of marketing such as network marketing and broadcast marketing. With direct marketing, you can target a very specific group. A company can make campaign large or small, depending on their budget. Ads can be test marketed to see if response rate is good before a larger campaign is started. Also, you can customize your direct marketing efforts to your former customers by compiling a database from past orders.

Why do Some Get Filthy Rich Online and Others Don't? Learn the shockingly simple answer - 9 Part Free Report: => Home Based Business Opportunities => mailto:thecomlev@getresponse.com

The direct marketing industry employs top minds of our world to analyze and build databases and marketing campaigns to address only concerns and needs of a selected audience, which history has proven to be accurate 70% of time. Typically, budgets are based more on analyzing product, service and/or consumer rather than playing an ROI guessing game.

Brief Case Study of a Client

Here is a case study of a client that used direct marketing to increase their bottom line:

Allied Home Mortgage Capital Corporation (AHMCC), largest U.S. privately held mortgage banker/mortgage broker initiated a more sophisticated form of direct mail marketing in 2003, which included use of opt-in email files and multi-level marketing to reach new customers. The results were that AHMCC increased their revenues by 100% and increased their closing ratio by 15% by using email alone. Customer loyalty went up and referrals hit roof. AHMCC now has 700 offices in 49 states, Guam and Virgin Islands!

As marketplace continues to evolve and change due economic landscape and need to offset expensive ad campaigns, direct marketing continues to play a major role for success of any sized business. Regardless of negative connotations that public has on direct marketing, truth of matter is that corporations are vehicles that satisfy needs of people and marketing is channel that helps facilitate this process.

Ultimately, in order to be successful, companies must learn to maintain loyalty of their customers and get in front of new ones by practicing 1 simple rule: Providing good product and service to right people, at right time, in right place and in right way.

Brian Rice is the Founder & President of Red Clay Media, a full-service marketing data provider, direct mail and data services company. Visit www.redclaymedia.com or email Brian directly at brian @redclaymedia.com.