Unsure how to engage a target audience? Create a direct response advertising campaign. When you mix ad creative with a compelling call to action, you’ll see how prospects are quicker to connect with your brand.
What are Direct Response Ads?
As the name suggests, direct response creative is designed to elicit an immediate response from prospects who may be interested in your product or service.
This type of advertising strategy is different from brand awareness campaigns in that the consumer is prompted to take a specific action. As a result, direct response campaigns can be measured much more easily than other initiatives — and the best direct response ads often yield exceptional results to boot!
Why Use Direct Response Creative?
You may want to use direct response creative for your next advertising campaign for several reasons. Here are just a few possibilities:
- You want to evoke an immediate response from your audience. For example, if you're the owner of a roofing company, you want your target consumers to schedule an appointment with one of your specialists today.
- You want to entice your audience to take action through an offer. This may be accomplished utilizing a discount, a coupon, or a free trial offer for those consumers who perform the action in question.
- You want to accomplish a specific objective. Your call to action (CTA) may be to visit your company's website, sign up for an email newsletter, subscribe to a promotional list, etc.
- You don't want to pay high costs for your campaign that can’t be easily tracked. Direct response creative tends to be less expensive than other forms of marketing.
- You want to see fast, measurable results. As mentioned above, it's relatively easy to see the ROI from a direct response campaign — which means you'll see the results of the campaign much more quickly than results from other kinds of advertising.
The Many Advantages of Direct Response Marketing
There are several advantages associated with direct response ads — advantages that may contribute to exceptional business growth.
Here are just a few of them:
- Direct response ads effectively drive more traffic to your website, and more leads to your sales funnel.
- Direct response campaigns tend to attract time-sensitive leads. (After all, if the consumer is taking the desired action, they must be really interested in the advertised product!)
- You can easily measure the results from your direct response initiative — if you suddenly get many more clicks, calls, or sign-ups, then you know it's working.
- Direct response campaigns are extremely scalable. They are suitable for both small businesses and enterprise-level organizations.
- Companies that use direct response marketing know that these ads are highly adaptable. The same CTA can be used in social media marketing, email marketing, television commercials, and radio spots. GEICO's famous "15 minutes could save you 15% or more" ads are just one example of how versatile a direct response campaign can be.
- Direct response marketing campaigns are easy to A/B test. With a simple, single KPI, it’s easy to know which ad performed.
4 Ways to Create Direct Response Ad Creative That Works
The strategy behind your direct response ad creative indicates the results it will yield. The reality is, not all direct response ads are created equal. Here are some things you can do to make yours stand out from the crowd:
1.) Keep it Simple
Your CTA should be very clear, short, and to the point. It should also be understandable; if there's any confusion about what the consumer should do, odds are you won't get optimal results from your campaign. Moreover, you want to remove any "friction" from the process — if your direct response ad is digital, the prospect should only be one click away from your landing page.
2.) Make it Specific
Give your audience a good reason to take the desired action. Show statistics that demonstrate the success of your product. Include testimonials. Craft a highly relevant, compelling CTA rather than a generic one.
3.) Include Added Value
Consider using an offer and giving away something of value, such as a discount or coupon, in return for the consumer's email. Offer your audience some incentive to help them make up their minds faster and follow through on your CTA.
4.) Put a Time Limit On It
You want to create a sense of urgency around your direct response ad. Perhaps you can emphasize what will happen after the time limit expires (e.g., the price will go up by x amount). If you can leverage FOMO as a psychological tool within your ads, you'll undoubtedly see a more significant response as the deadline approaches.
Use Direct Response Creative to Achieve Exceptional Results
You should consider investing in direct response ad creative for several compelling reasons.
Direct response campaigns are:
- Relatively Easy to Measure
- Highly Scalable and Adaptable
- Great at Generating High-Quality Traffic and Leads
If you use direct response ad creative as part of your next campaign (perhaps with the help of an experienced media partner), you may very well see exceptional short-term results as the fruitage of your labor — and long-term growth.
This type of advertising strategy is different from brand awareness campaigns in that the consumer is prompted to take a specific action. As a result, direct response campaigns can be measured much more easily than other initiatives — and often yield exceptional results to boot!
