Test Marketing--How to Increase Your Direct Mail Marketing Response by Using the Internet to Test

I've discovered a really fantastic way to discover whatexperienced GoogleAdwords, just go to and search
works best in direct marketing, BEFORE doingfor something. When the listing shows up there will be
traditional direct marketing. Use these internet tools to2-3 sponsored listings across the top of the page, and
find what works best, then apply what you've learned5-6 down the right hand side. These are pay-per-click
to your traditional direct marketing, direct mail, etc. It'sads, those companies pay for the ads only when
fast and less expensive.someone clicks on them. You are taken to that site. At
How to Find What Works in Your Marketplace?that time the sponsoring company pays so much for
Overture provides an excellent tool to find whateach time someone clicks on it.
people are looking for on the internet. For all practicalA really fantastic way of using this for a marketing
purposes, you can use that to apply to other types ofstudy is that within 1-2 days, there will have been
marketing.enough clicks to know which search words are
Go to Type in some keywords that apply to yourworking.Another one of the fantastic benefits of
product or service. Overture will provide the number ofGoogleAdwords is that they allow alternating ads in an
times that search word was searched in the lastAdword campaign. So for any campaign you can
month, and it will also provide a list of related wordshave several different ads running. Within just 1-3 days
and how many times they were searched. Thisthere will have been enough people searching and
provides a really excellent tool to research whatclicking through that you can see
people are wanting, and how they are looking for themWhich search words are searched for the most often
(at least what words they are relating to that search).Which one of the ads are producing the most
Using my business as an example:click-thru's
I provide training (sales, customer service, leadershipIt isn't unusual to see a 2 to 1 difference between the
and several other things).ads. So now you know how to say what in an ad and
So, which ones are in demand right now? I can do awhat kind of typical response rates you might have.
search for "training" on Overture.The results are:You can also take the best ad, tweak it again. Check
Training --searched 165,196 timesback in a few days and know if you've improved it or
Online training, searched 149,418 timesnot. I've seen pay-per-click ads crawl upward to
Management training, searched 133,49910-15% response rates in a matter of a week.
Sales training, searched 70,496Now, it's time to start using those same words and
What can we learn from this?structure in our next direct mail, or other direct
It looks like I should focus more online training instead ofmarketing campaign. It's fast and very economical.
face-to-face, or local training.Instead of taking weeks and costing a ton of money
Management training is being searched for almost 2like a traditional test market would, we know in days
times as much as sales training. So, shouldn't I focuswhat works for a lot less.
more on management training over sales training? I'llWant to know how many people are looking for your
certainly have a larger market.product in your small geographical area? Set up a
This can be applied to almost any kind of marketing,GoogleAdword campaign and set the geographic
direct mail, cold calling, email, website, etc. Not only can Ilimitation to your address with a known radius. Come
find the best direction (management training) but I canback in a few days and see how many searches you
also find the right words to use in a direct marketinggot in that territory. Then go out with your local direct
piece before sending it.marketing with what you just learned.
Here's another one.Even if you aren't an e-commerce site you can learn a
Use GoogleAdwords, a pay-per-click online marketinglot about what works in marketing this way.
campaign to find what works. If you haven't