Direct mail can be a type of direct response advertising.
Direct response advertising is an advertising and marketing approach that uses different strategies to get consumers to take some kind of immediate action. The idea is to make anyone viewing the ad respond in a specific way. Typically, the focus is on encouraging the consumer to contact the supplier as a way to improve the chances of establishing a commercial working relationship.
An example of direct response advertising would be the use of postcards as a promotional effort. Postcards can advertise the sale of a specific item for a limited period of time. As part of the card design, the vendor will provide contact information, typically a phone number or website address, and ask the reader to call or visit the website for more details or to place an order. This approach not only informs consumers about the sale, but also gives them specific instructions on how to proceed with the purchase in the most convenient way.
Brochures and door hooks have the same type of direct response advertising function. Text and graphics in promotional material include information that can be used to encourage interested parties to contact the vendor. Once that contact is made, the potential to generate a sale increases dramatically.
Even ads for special offers or discount coupons inserted in newspapers fit the description of direct response advertising. With the ads, the consumer can call or visit the supplier and place an order. Discount coupons can be clipped and taken to a supermarket or other retail establishment and used to purchase merchandise for less than the current retail price. In both approaches, consumers respond to advertising by doing exactly what the advertiser expects them to do.
Online direct response advertising is simply a variation of the more traditional methods used in offline situations. Here, the provider makes it easy for consumers to visit a website, find what they are looking for, and gain quick access to a means of making a purchase. Even online banners or classified ads that are embedded with links that take the consumer to an order page have the direct effect of making the buying process easier. When used in conjunction with other forms of promotion and public relations, direct response advertising can be very effective while adding little cost to the overall promotional effort.