Just as the master carpenter must use the right tools for the job, so must today’s insurance direct marketer.  As consumers’ wants and needs and media options continue to evolve, direct marketers need to reach for the new tools in order to “get the job done” efficiently.

The basic tools of direct marketing — direct mail, print, inserts, broadcast and cable television, and out-of-home advertising — are being supplemented by e-mail, Websites, search engine marketing, social networking and blogs, and mobile marketing.  Marketers across industries report that they are allocating more of their total advertising budgets to these new tools than ever before.  Are you ready to take the plunge?  What follows are some ideas for making new marketing tools important standouts in your marketing toolbox.

E-mail Marketing

E-mail is one of the most powerful marketing tools available, and is the backbone of digital communication.  While (according to a Forrester Research report) some 97 percent of consumers and 94 percent of marketers are now using e-mail, how has your company put the power of e-mail to work?  Smart marketers get “inside the box” to make e-mail more than a one-size-fits-all communication channel.  They personalize e-mail messages and offers.  They test just as they would any direct marketing medium, trying various subject lines, design layouts, data collection tools, and more.  How are you maximizing your e-mail marketing efforts?

Websites

Is your company’s Website working to its fullest potential?  A Website’s design should be an extension of a brand.  Copy content should be scanable and bulleted, and should include text links.  Clear calls to action should be as close to the top of the page (“above the fold”) as possible, and display copy should use various size fonts.  Navigation must be intuitive and consistent.  Everything should be found within a few clicks.  Does your Website measure up?

Search Engine Marketing

Described as “pull marketing,” search engine marketing has consumers looking for you with a specific purpose in mind.  Done properly, search engine marketing increases qualified traffic to a Website, landing page, or microsite in a short period of time.  It provides immediate visibility for short-lived programs such as events, seminars, promotions, and contests.  It offers control over placement within search results and flexibility in pricing and overall marketing spend.  How has your company leveraged paid search to supplement natural search efforts?

Social Networks and Blogs

No one can deny the impact of social networks on marketing today.  Sophisticated insurers are leveraging outlets such as Youtube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, and more to “join the conversation.”  And blogging has brought a new voice — the voice of the consumer — to the forefront.  While other more traditional marketing channels serve to promote a product or service, the big idea behind social networking is to get consumers to talk about your brand — even advocate on behalf of your brand.  Those who want to get social will observe first to see what people are saying, then give them something to really talk about.  Are you ready?

Mobile Marketing

More than a billion text messages are exchanged daily in the United States alone.  Some 80 percent of the world’s population lives within a cell phone network, reports SmartReply.  The DMA’s “Mobile Marketing: Consumer Perspectives 2008” study claimed that 89 percent of major brands were planning to market via mobile phones by year-end 2008, and 40 percent have already deployed text messaging campaigns.  Mobile marketing is permission-based, meaning customers must opt-in to receive messages from you.  Marketers on the cutting edge integrate the same best practices from more traditional direct marketing, leveraging offers in print ads, contests and promotions, register receipts, and store signage, to name a few.  Have you created a cell phone database?

It’s a bold new world out there with many new tools to complement and enhance the old standbys.  How have you prepared to use them to become a master direct marketer of the future?

Warren Hunter is Chairman and CEO at DMW Direct, a full-service direct response advertising agency with offices in Wayne, Pa., and Plymouth, Mass.  The ECHO Award-winning agency provides strategic planning, creative, database management, broadcast, media, production, fulfillment, and Internet marketing to a variety of industries including insurance and financial services.  Hunter can be reached at 610?407?0407 or via e-mail at whunter[at]dmwdirect[dot]com.  Visit DMW’s Website at www.dmwdirect.com.