The Changing Face of Direct Response

Posted on June 5th, 2012 by Larry Chase

I’ve recently been conducting some online testing of certain assumptions that were based on classic direct-response wisdom. I’m finding out I don’t know everything.

Things that work a certain way in traditional marketing channels, like DRTV or Direct Mail, don’t necessarily have the same outcomes online. I’m not sure why this is. Maybe it’s because screen reading is not as linear as DRTV or an outer envelope. It’s too early to tell.

What I can tell you is you need to test your most basic assumptions. Humans want certainty. While human nature hasn’t changed much, humans do change their habits from one medium to the next. You can’t assume that something which works well in one channel will work the same way in other channels.

More on these differences as I learn more. LC

The Internet Marketing Tip above originally appeared in Larry Chase's Web Digest For Marketers which you can subscribe to at no charge at www.wdfm.com.