Webmaster Tutorials Blog Archive Direct MarketingÂ?s Conflicts With TodayÂ?s Internet Marketing takes a look at Internet marketing versus a traditional view of direct marketing. Yes, there are marked differences in the classic definition of direct marketing versus what is effective today.

While the post is right in describing the basic differences between the two in general, and I would argue that the two concepts need not be polarized as conflicting. What about looking at them as complementary elements in a conversation with customers and prospects?

I see some of the concepts here, such as AdWords, as especially complementary to direct marketing.

Elements like landing pages and customer experience paths are similar to classic direct marketing letters. Subscribers to dynamic content will receive information directly from us in the feed, similar to a magazine subscription received in the mail. People who order products may receive inserts from merchants.

Yes, the customers are in charge, and that only makes the need to apply the fundamentals of creating relevance greater and drives the ROI up.

Direct marketing's measurability has been the foundation of the Internet marketing metrics in use today. Before the renewed interest in Direct Marketing following the dot com bubble's burst, Internet marketing was all about eyeballs, not relevance. It seems to be working better with a little help from DM.

Even if the two are not the same, when strategically applied, together they make each other better.