2011 Direct Marketing Trends

Top Direct Marketing Trends 2011

By Crystal Pope

Direct marketing, technology and social media have seen huge developments and improvements over the past few years.

The growth of these three industries, each on their own, is enormous. However, when you combine the three, you can only imagine the possibilities.

And, that is exactly what has, and will continue, to happen this year.

Direct Marketing will be most impacted by the integration of new technologies and social media.

Here is a look at the top trends in Direct Marketing for 2011:

QR Codes

QR codes are “Quick Response” codes. They allow consumers with a smart phone to, instantly, learn more about your product or business.

With the growing popularity of smart phones, they are quickly becoming an integral part of consumer’s lives and our society.

QR codes play off of this growing trend and society’s need for “instant satisfaction”-immediate access to the information they want.

Marketer’s have begun and will continue to take advantage of this trend, by incorporating smart phone capabilities into their campaigns.

50% of Fortune 50 companies are already using QR codes!

QR codes engage consumers and provide a new level of interaction, ultimately enhancing the customer experience.

Increase in Personalization

People respond more favorably to information that is personal. 2011 will see a focus on making direct marketing a unique, interactive experience.

Personalization will be seen in the form of:

–         Variable Data- Include the recipient’s name, street/neighborhood name, etc

–         PURLs- Personalized URLs drive the prospect to visit a website personalized just for them!

–         QR Codes- Quick Response codes can be scanned by the consumer’s smart phone, allowing instant access to the information they are interested in

–         Variable Imaging- Make the prospect’s name or other variable data a part of the image! Write their name in the sand, in the sky or send them a personalized birthday message that has their name written in frosting on a photo of a cake.

Integration of Social Media

It seems that everyone, today, is using some form of social media. While it began as a personal form of communication, the popularity of social media in the business world has exploded in the past couple of years!

Social media can easily be integrated into many marketing campaigns-and direct marketing is already starting to feel its presence.

“Follow us on Twitter”, “Like us on Facebook”, “Visit our blog for the latest news and offers” can easily be added to direct marketing, with a line of text or a recognizable image of a social media icon.

The trend of using social media to research companies is continuing to grow. To stay ahead in today’s market, social media will become a necessity for businesses, especially those wishing to target the younger generations.

To learn more about the latest marketing trends and how to begin using them in your campaigns, contact our Inside Account Management Team at 1-800-287-5710 or okiam@prospectsplus.com