The Anatomy of Great Direct Response Marketing Pieces

Do your marketing efforts aim to get people to take a certain action? Purchase something? Sign up for your email list? Any marketing effort that provokes a specific action is direct response marketing. 

This type of marketing has specific, measurable outcomes and can feel more like a science than an art. Effective and successful direct response marketing pieces all have the same anatomy.

1. Clear messaging - Express what your product is and why your audience needs it succinctly and efficiently.

2. Specific offer - Feature a specific, easy-to-understand offer so your audience knows why they should take the action you're asking of them.

3. Well-targeted placements - Use targeting to make sure your getting your marketing in front of the right audience and eliminating any waste.

4. Urgency - Your offers shouldn't last forever and ever. Urgency is a powerful tool when used to spur action. Give your offers an end date or a limited quantity so your audience knows they need to take action immediately.

5. Call-to-action - Tell them what you want them to do and give them an easy way to do it. Whether it's a button on a display ad, a phone number to call in a radio ad or link in a social media post, don't shy away from a direct call-to-action.