Direct marketing refers to any kind of advertising that allows business owners to have direct interaction with consumers. Some of the more well-known techniques include: postcard marketing, sales letters, telemarketing, billboards, and Internet advertising.
The primary difference of direct marketing versus traditional forms of marketing is that businesses can personalize sales messages specifically to the person receiving the information.
The way that sales content is personalized is by acquiring information and storing it in a database. This can be accomplished by various means such as offering a newsletter subscription, conducting online surveys or focus groups, or having people provide their contact information through websites or in person.