webdev In recent years, Direct Response TV (DRTV) has evolved to meet with other forms of advertising. More than ever, marketers are now realising the importance of DRTV as an advertising channel that can compete favourably with both mainstream and digital adverts. However, just like any other advertising channel, it takes strategy and skill to put together a winning DRTV campaign. In this post, we’ve put together some tips that can help you create a captivating DRTV campaign that people will respond to.
Find an experienced team
Creating the foundation for a successful DRTV campaign starts with getting the right team with relevant experience in DRTV. Even though it contains elements of regular TV ads, Direct Response TV is unique. This is why you’ll need the right agency, with experience in identifying TV spots on the appropriate channels. Before teaming up with an agency, take time to investigate your options so that you can be certain they have the resources, skills and expertise to create and manage a successful campaign. A prudent idea is to take a look at their track record to see how they measure up for success. Make sure you also establish how they measure ROI and efficiency of DRTV ads.
Be sure of what you want
This is self explanatory; you should know what you intend to achieve with your DRTV campaign before you begin. In other words, do your homework before putting together an ad. Research has shown that a well targeted, goal driven DRTV campaign stands a better chance of succeeding and earning more revenue. It’s therefore imperative that you know and understand exactly what you’re all about. For instance, are you looking at lead generation, brand awareness, acquisition or sales? Who are your target customers – millennials or the elderly?
Answers to such questions will help you plan a campaign that will be right on target and highly successful. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, your CTA should be aimed at Smartphone users, while the older generation prefers Tablets as their second screen. When a DRTV campaign is targeted at the right people with the right goals, the conversion rate is known to increase by 5%.
Plan a winning strategy
After picking a winning team, the next task is to plan a winning strategy. Such a strategy is one that takes into consideration factors such as your budget, demography, ROI, channels and other components needed for a successful campaign. A winning strategy is also one that focuses more on reach, rather than frequency. To get the most out of your DRTV campaign, concentrate on the number of people you can reach – not the number of times your ad is shown.
Thinkbox research revealed that approximately 80% of total DRTV response came after consumers had seen the ad one or two times. This suggests that rather than showing the ad multiple times, use that resource to show the ad across multiple channels; this will increase the reach, and conversely the responses. A reliable team will be able to determine the channels which guarantee the highest efficiency, based on data analysis.
Use the right CTA
If you want the appropriate people to respond to your campaign, you’ll need to use the right ‘Call to Action’. TV ads are successful because of impulse; so much so, a good DRTV campaign is one that takes advantage of impulse to push the viewer to convert. A ‘Call to Action’ can range from regular phone numbers to search keywords and trending hashtags. According to a recent study by Video Advertising Bureau, website visits and the ‘Calls to Action’ of TV ads work hand in hand. This means that if you target the right audience with the right CTA, you will achieve better results. For example, millennials would prefer a CTA that relates to a hashtag or unique URL, while older viewers might prefer the regular phone numbers that they’ve always been used to. Your DRTV campaign team will be able to help you determine the best CTA for individual campaign profiles.
Integrate digital
Integrating with the digital medium is necessary for the success of any DRTV campaign. While spending resources on TV, it’s imperative that you focus the same energy on digital ad mediums, such as social media, landing pages and so on. This will help further push your target towards conversion. TV is a great way to get your prospects to the top of the conversion and sales funnel. You’ll certainly need both online and offline mediums if you want to achieve the best possible results.
