There is a distinct difference between Direct marketing and Social media marketing. Direct marketing includes efforts like DRTV, snail mail, email and other related. The products are created in accordance to the desire of the company. Social marketing includes imbibing more communities, innovating offers by you and then promoting it.

A direct marketing offer has the following characteristics:

* Development of high class messaging
* Attainment of lists and segments of snail mail
* Thorough research and construction of email list
* Innovate and execute scores of direct mail segments
* Innovate and execute scores of offers through email with a catalog of landing pages
* Build and execute PPC campaigns along with landing pages.
* Design stories and media releases.
* Examine publication of designed stories and journalists casing the topic.
* Issue the most appropriate media statement through wire services.
* Distribute the stories to industry and local publications, editors and journalists.
* Influence the media reporting from pitching as a follow up to the ultimate email promotion.
* Seek advice from the people signing up and use these as testimonials for successive promotions.

The list is actually never ending and depends on timeline, budget and objectives. From the view point of a marketer the above points are feasible. It is simple marketing campaign concerned with developing a bid, defining a specific audience and innovating scores of messages aimed at communicating the offer and converting it. PR is also used to enhance direct marketing strategies and also carry forward positive feedbacks for successive promotions.

Firms are now becoming more and more committed to Social media marketing, Online Advertising & Search Engine Marketing as an alternative to Direct marketing strategies. One important assumption of social media marketing is participation of the various communities like group of friends, profiles, voting, content submission and participation.

• Supervise discussions on topics like social communities for important conversations, topics and keywords
• Identify the most concerning issues regarding the promotion of a product.
• List the influential users in the social communities and seek their opinion.
• Single out frequently used media used with topics like videos, texts, microblogging, direct messaging etc.
• Your messaging should be targeted to a specific media type in regards to the sharing of the information in regards to the offer.
• The content should be able to explain your offer and also have space for interaction, comments and opinion sharing.
• Contact influential people in the business and request them to spread your word by explaining them your goals and the entire offer. Convey them their part of the profit from the gains of the entire community.
• Identify active participation and contribution to the final goal.
• Try to involve more and more participants and interested communities.

A basic focus on the solution depending on the requirements of the consumers and then involving the community in the promotion and development of the product enhances your position in the market. Identifying potential participation unites the community and can enhance the speed of the message distribution, action and discussion.

Social media marketing involves investment in social circuit with quality solutions, recognition and participation. Such an investment is fruitful in the long run during promotional programs using straightforward marketing strategies.

Tags: Direct Marketing, DRTV, email, PR, SMM, SMO, Snail Mail

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 1:44 am and is filed under Digital marketing, Internet Marketing, Social. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.