What is DRTV and Why Should it be a Part of Your Marketing Strategy

This is a type of TV where the commercials are designed to get you to take action, such as buying the product being advertised. The commercials are usually placed during late-night hours, and they often look like they were produced in someone’s garage. However, modern DRTV commercials have advanced in terms of placement, quality, and creativity.

Direct Response Television (DRTV) is type of ad asks the viewer to take action directly from the ad, usually immediately. A basic example of a DRTV call to action would be to encourage the viewer to "Call Now" with a phone number listed on the screen. Other common calls to action for direct response television ads are directions to websites (Order Online Today!), or SMS messages (Text – PHONE# – Now). Whether short form or long, any ad that calls for a direct response from the viewer qualifies as DRTV.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of DRTV is probably the infomercial. This is where it all started. However, direct response advertising has evolved a lot since then. The ads are no longer just long-form TV commercials with obnoxious pitchmen hawking their wares. You can now see DRTV ads at all times of the day, including during primetime.

Modern direct response advertising

Direct response ads are now more high-quality and creative. They can be either long (28 minutes) or short (2 minutes or less). This helps them stand out more and get the viewer's attention. Television, cable, and online advertising are all places where you can show your home. Direct response ad campaigns now use high-quality video productions to tell stories about your home. This way, people will be more likely to want to buy it.

Why use DRTV?

DRTV allows advertisers to talk directly to consumers. It can be a great way to quickly generate product sales, donations, leads, website traffic, and useful data. A high-quality direct response television ad can connect with a viewer in a way that makes them want to take action now. This action could be calling now, buying now, visiting the website now, or taking some other immediate action. The fact that this is a "direct response" means that we can measure the results of the ad very quickly in real time. This measuring lets us know how well the ad is performing and calculate our return on investment.

Although DRTV advertisements are most effective at producing sales, they can also help to increase brand awareness. Short but memorable spots can introduce the brand and then invite the viewer to visit a website or social media page to learn more. While other spots can be used to provide your brand’s solution for consumers if they “act now”. Whether long or short form, DRTV advertising campaigns are a great way to drive sales, boost leads, or generate data for your brand in a cost-effective way.

People can tell the difference between a well-made DRTV video and one that is not so good. Well-made DRTV videos are made on purpose to make people want to respond to your brand and take a specific action. If you are going to use direct response advertising as part of your marketing strategy, it is in your best interest to use the help of a professional video production agency to create high-quality DRTV ads.

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