Direct response marketing is a lot different from indirect response marketing, although guerrillas like it best when the two are teamed up. The first is geared to obtain orders right here and right now. The second is geared to obtain orders eventually.

Most of us who market on the Internet use e-mail, classified ads, Press editorial, opt in lists, newsletters, etc. to get people to a web site, whether it is our own site or a company affiliate site. That's indirect marketing. These ads do not "close" the prospect, they "tease." These ads provide only "sizzle," no "steak."

The sole purpose of indirect marketing is to evoke your prospects' interest, so they will go to the next step. Once the prospect is at the site. The website is designed to make the sale. The sales letter that is the site content tries to close the sale. Here you provide the "steak" to go with the "sizzle."

Some online marketers use a web site hardly at all. Some don't use one at all. They use email messages, usually set up on an autoresponder to make the sale. The only link in the messages is to an online order page. Each message is a combination of "sizzle" and "steak."

Both of these are direct marketing.

As Jay Conrad Levinson points out, the best marketing is a combination of both indirect and direct marketing.

How does this work?

Company ABC primarily use newsletter ads as indirect marketing to get prospects to Company ABC 's site. That's a primary indirect marketing tool. And that is the main reason for having a newsletter. Once you've established your credibility with your subscribers, they will go to your site to see what your offer is all about. Your site then must sell them your product.

But, you won't always make a product sale. That's why your site must be set up to accomplish a secondary sale. You must get your prospects, even if they already are on your mailing list to request some sort of information. You must have a form on your site to collect that information, transfer it to a database and send out the requested information immediately.

The best sort of information is a series of messages focusing on a general topic that prospects will understand. Each message in each series has to provide enough valuable information that the prospect can use to keep the prospect's interest high. Make them look forward to your next message.

This is indirect marketing. This builds your credibility with the prospect. You are preparing the prospect to buy, but even more, you are preparing him to buy from you, rather than your competition!!!

The ads at the end of these messages should be closers!!! They must demand a buying decision from the prospect: "Yes," "No," or "Undecided." They should be linked directly to the order page. For this reason, these ads must be more than the "sizzle," they must have meat to them - the "steak!" They should be all steak and no sizzle!!!

Newsletters and Seminars are forms of indirect marketing that works well in this manner online. The ultimate goal of all marketing, whether indirect or direct, is to sell a product.

If you cannot generate income with that particular prospect during that particular contact, at least gather some more information about them and have them request some other informational mailing from you!!!

Develop a full cycle strategy.