Direct Marketing has seen a good deal of change over the last few years. As online technology continues to evolve, procurement of information becomes quicker and easier. Over the next few weeks I will overview three major changes that have changed how many companies are approaching their direct program.

In this post I will discuss the ability to selectively grow your database and approach prospects, future posts will focus on Co-Registration and Post Click Marketing.

Purchasing one name at a time:
If you’ve spent time planning or managing direct marketing programs then you’ve probably been up against minimums of 5,000, 7,500 or even 10,000 names. Or maybe you have leaned more towards the compiled (multi-sourced) list solutions that require monetary minimums. In a previous post I focused on getting the most out of these minimums, but what
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As a new medium for delivering a message, mobile marketing has been thrust into the spotlight - ready or not. As B2B marketers, we have to realize is that it’s about increasing our creativity (choosing the right format and targeting the right message) to reach the right audience. No more are we limited to a brief text message (“Send a text to 22222 to see if you’ve won”) to collect limited information or try to communicate a more involved marketing message.

With the advent of technology platforms like e-readers (is the Kindle on your Christmas list?), smaller computers (my Smartphone is better than your Netbook), portable entertainment units (if I could ever get my son off the PS3) and even navigation systems (yes, your GPS is watching you) the doors are opening to many more possibilities for your message to reach your B2B audience. But which one is the right one for you and what’s the right message to send?

Part of learning how these
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What if you were a B2B marketing manager and a media rep called on you and said, "I have just the circulation you need. Every one of our subscribers is in the industries you serve. They all have expressed an interest in one or more of the products you make or services you provide. What's more, they have actually expressed an interest in YOUR products or services. Now don't you want to invest some marketing dollars to turn their interest into leads for your sales force?"

Well, would you? Of course you would. How could a B2B trade magazine make such claims? It couldn't. But you may be sitting on a "circulation" that can. It's your prospect (or inquiry) data base. And if you haven't been cultivating it and turning inquiries into interested and qualified leads, then you've missed out on one of the most efficient marketing communications tactics you could have been using during the 2009 economic downturn.

As we turn the corner into a recovery, take a fresh look
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Recently I’ve been involved with projects that include elements of both Branding and Direct Marketing. I’ve been asked where my team loyalties lie, since the tactics of each seem to be on the opposite ends of the playing field. But to me, the goal is always the same – winning the game.

Many a marketer will tell you the front line of direct marketing can support the brand but that the opposite is not true. Due to differing calls on the objective of most branding campaigns, direct marketing may not always be the best offense in promoting the look/feel of your company, i.e. leaving your fans with a good impression means nothing if there isn’t any forward progress. However, just because they aren’t exactly reciprocal doesn’t make them less important in the whole game plan.

Direct marketing campaigns tend to have a prominent goal – getting an immediate call to action from the customer. Blitz, deliver, convert, and score the sale.
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Finally, we're seeing some early positive indicators among the headlines about the economic situation. They remind us that, eventually, things will turn around. When, how much and how fast are anyone's guess. And there may be more bumps in the road, depending on your industry and company health.

But as we make our way through 2009 and prepare for 2010, it's time to change our thought process from "marketing in a downturn" to "marketing in the recovery." But it isn't just about remembering what to do with a real budget.

Things have changed.

This recession coincided with other changes in the B-to-B marketing landscape. We think it has accelerated some changes and that the marketing landscape in the recovery will not be the same as the one pre-recession.

• The media have changed. Some of the changes are jarring - some storied print properties have gone out of existence.
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The challenge of every direct mail campaign is figuring out which lists are going to perform best. Where is your target audience? Sure, they might be hidden in the depths of a compiled database, however, you should be able to do better than that. 

Start with industry specific association lists. You may have to do some digging for availability, but I almost always get good results from a well targeted association list. Many direct mail brokers won’t go through the trouble of calling associations that do not advertise their member list. You may even find that as a member you are entitled to the list at a reduced rate or no cost at all. I’ve come across associations where the cost of membership was about the cost of renting the list as a non-member, so in addition to the list we received the added bonus of being listed in their online and print directories.
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So, you are getting ready for an old fashioned b-to-b direct mail campaign. Don’t be ashamed, according to BtoB Magazine’s 2009 Marketing Priorities and Plans survey, 74% of b-to-b marketers are planning to maintain or increase their direct marketing budget in 2009. Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your campaign.

Use your Merge Purge Wisely - Most b-to-b rental lists are purchased with one-time use only, but when possible, be sure to use them completely. If your mail-house runs a merge purge for 10 rented lists and 30% are duplicates, that’s ok - you can mail the duplicates again. If the same name shows up on six rented lists, you’ve paid for the name six times and can use it six times. Just be sure that you are mailing the approved mail piece within the promised timeline.

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To add one additional thought to Russ Green's recent post on getting on board with social media, one possible source of hesitation might be that marketers aren't sure how or why to apply the new media. Here are a few thoughts about the ways the social media apply to the B-to-B environment:

• Networking: Many users find the new social media like blogs and social networking sites to be a great way to stay in touch with old coworkers or customers who move to another position. Losing a customer in one job may simply mean gaining a new customer, if you stay in touch. And beyond being able to wish people a happy birthday, social media may also assist your efforts to recruit top talent.
  
• Content management: Many companies have purchased global content management systems at huge expense, and still have not achieved their goal of involving more of their
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