Recognize that fellow in the airport waiting area, pulling out a PDA to check web-based email and an RSS newsreader? Does the woman listening to the videocast of a celebrity chef on her iPod look familiar?
Take a good look. Because if you’re a direct marketer, these are probably your newest customers. Consider these “new media” marketing scenarios:
Joe Doe follows a link or URL to your website and accepts cookies so you can recognize him on his next visit. What’s this but a new opportunity to do truly direct marketing, customizing the version of your site that he sees with offers based on his previous page visits or a wish list? (Amazon.com has perfected this marketing technique.)
Responding to an email offer, Susie Smith signs up on your site so she can download free podcasts, mp3s, or video. Now you have a consumer who’s opted in, in effect choosing you as her content provider. (Just as many B2B sites offer white papers to drive sign-ups, the cutting-edge business-to-consumer sites now offer a free audio or video download.)
Bottom line: The mailbox — be it at the end of the driveway, or right on the desktop — is still a prime direct marketing target, but, increasingly, it’s the first step in a complex, multi-channel marketing scenario. Marigold can help you take this crucial first step, providing business and consumer lists that closely target tech-savvy buyers, such as our list of computer and technology magazine subscribers or our opt-in list of IT-Pros. Contact us to find out more about about lists like these and how they can be further tailored to reach your target audience.