What is direct communication?
The dictionary definition is sending a clear message with no question of intention – which can be very beneficial when you have a clear objective.
The conversation can be free flowing, but the message will be direct. With a clear call to action for your recipient to follow rather than skirting round the objective, softly asking them to do it, this eliminates any doubt in what you want from them.
If a recipient doesn’t think the message is important, they might tune out or cut you off to encourage you to get to the point as soon as possible.
As you may have already guessed, there’s no beating around the bush, everything is to the point, leaving no question of what is expected.
The main methods of direct communication are:
Telephone
Email
Direct mail
Text message
They are all about getting right in front of your target. Where advertising is about being noticed and remembered, direct communication puts you front and centre, monopolising attention, with a clear course of action for your recipient.
These are all quite intrusive methods of marketing, so you have to be careful, not only legally (Data Protection and GDPR), but from a reputation standpoint too. The best outcome from using direct methods is your objective being met, the worst is disengagement and disenfranchisement from your target.
How to use direct communication successfully:
Be direct
o Clear, on brand, messaging with a call to action that achieves your objective. You are fighting for attention, so get to the point and move your recipient on to the next stage in the journey.
Be time conscious
o The purpose is to get your target to complete the call to action. Lives are busy, attention is tight, so bear that in mind when constructing your communications
Be conscious of your objective
o The aim of marketing is to generate revenue, but you have to remember that your communication doesn’t necessarily have to complete a sale. Consider this; the objective of an email subject line is to get the recipient to open the email, not to secure a sale, so you treat it accordingly.
How do Return On Incentives use direct communication?
We understand that people are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of marketing messages every day. We need to be memorable and create cut through to make sure that loyalty programmes and reward campaigns are successful.
Here are some examples of what we use direct communication for:
Registering users and beginning their rewarding experience
Updating clients on the progress of an initiative
Updating users on their progress towards rewards
Using micro-objective campaigns to drive action that contribute to larger objectives, e.g. bonus progress for buying specific products
This allows us to be focused on achieving the larger objectives of growing the revenue of our clients and giving their customers great experiences.
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