Direct marketing software assists businesses in optimizing their direct mail marketing materials. It helps with their list compilation, including predictive modeling to help determine the most successful candidates. The software helps prepare a creative, eye-catching document. These applications help eliminate duplication and standardize addresses to ensure deliverability. Presorted mailings also allow discounted postage from the US postal service. By using these applications, direct marketers can dramatically improve their response rates while lowering their printing and mailing costs.
Direct Marketing applications may be sold as stand alone, or as part of a complete marketing software package that contains CRM software, Campaign and event management tools, marketing database, budget and expense management, and much more.
Software programs for direct marketing may include the following features:
- Consolidate customer and prospect information
- Contact details
- Customer Transactions: responses, interactions, orders, contracts, etc.
- Third party data: demographic, psychographics, lifestyle, etc.
- Modeling data: scores, deciles, RFM, purchasing propensities, etc.
- Response rate analysis
- Analysis by segment
- Stores, organizes, analyzes marketing information
- Barcoding software
Major providers of direct marketing applications include:
- Marketing Pilot
- Direct Line
- SalesForce
- Main Street Commerce
- Group 1
Factors that should be considering in making your direct marketing program choice include:
- Do you want a stand alone direct marketing package, or complete marketing software package
- Ease of use and training requirements
- System resources: Not usually an issue, but sometimes small business environments are on over-taxed hardware already.