Direct 2.0

Our last two blogs took you through the first six Direct 2.0 principles. In this final entry in the series, we’ll provide detail on #7, #8, #9 and #10, the last four of our ten principles -- mastering your data, analytics and measurement; moving from social points of presence to a full “social ecosystem”; making mobile marketing and sales work; and optimizing on both effectiveness and efficiency.

 Master your data, analytics and measurement

Rigorously apply analytics to achieve a competitive advantage. Use segmentation (both consumer and professional), profiling (demographic, psychographic, behavioral and/or firmographic) and data-driven modeling (acquisition, expansion and retention) to optimize your sales outcomes.

 Move from social points of presence to a full “social ecosystem”

Optimize your internet presence by using it for content distribution to third-party sites and for use in social communities, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Use the “hub-and-spoke” model with your site being the hub (the “social home”) and third-party networks being spokes for outreach and pull through.

Make mobile marketing and sales work

Mobile marketing is growing fast. Create a strong mobile marketing plan and set of tactics that provide value. Go beyond "what's in the app" to a more robust strategy that extends to LBS (location based services) to engage consumers and make sales using strong calls-to-action.

Optimize on both effectiveness and efficiency

Optimize campaign effectiveness (# of sales) and efficiency ($ per sale) by using all the arrows in your quiver. A balanced mix of online and offline media is generally required to achieve the greatest number of sales at the lowest possible cost.

 A final thought as we conclude the series – do not throw the baby out with the bath water. Even Google continues to use “snail mail” when appropriate. Never exclude traditional tactics because they are no longer in vogue. Select your media and tactics based upon their unique performance characteristics. The right mix of online and offline will almost always outperform single dimension campaigns.