Mailing List Survival Guide

Everyone who uses direct mail needs to know this. If shouting it from the top of a mountain would help, I'd do it. But writing this article seems more effective. Here's the deal: Your mailing list is the most important part of your direct mail campaign. "Really?" You say. "Surely it's the design ... or the copywriting?" No. It's the mailing list. And here's why. You are a small business that sells high-end landscaping services to commercial properties (for the sake of this example). You spend months tweaking the perfect postcard design, complete with motivating copy and the ultimate "Act Now" offer. This thing is prime. No one could resist its marketing power. Once it's ready for action, you buy a targeted mailing list of 5,000 commercial properties in your area and start mailing. You are consistent, sending out a card every month, but still the results are ... well ... dissatisfying. What's the problem? You probably guessed it. Just because you "targeted" prospects doesn't mean you targeted the right prospects. You sell high-end services. Maybe 25 percent of the list you bought can afford you. So that's 75 percent of your postcards down the drain right out of the gate. Not good. I see this a lot. But when you try to skimp on the mailing list, you always get burned. The success of your campaign rests on your ability to put your ad in the right hands. Everything else is gravy. OK, so that's great, but how do you make sure you get the right list? For the large majority of business owners and marketers, the best way to deal with mailing list companies is through an intermediary. It may add a slight bump to the bottom line, but the world of mailing lists is thoroughly confusing, and it's easy to get the wrong kind of list, overpay for a list, or miss a detail that comes back to haunt you. Most direct mail companies offer this service and have enough experience with mailing list compilers to know which ones are reputable and which to avoid. With that said, there are still basics you need to know, and here they are: The Types of Mailing Lists Consumer ListA mailing list compiled from consumer data collected from other businesses. You can get very specific with what you need with these lists. Target by age, gender, location, income, housing, etc. If a plumber wants to target homeowners within its home county with household income over $100,000 and homes built before 2005, it would want a consumer list. (Note: You can have a consumer list created based on the profile of your current best customers. It's often called an "ideal customer list.") Subscriber ListA mailing list compiled from subscribers to a particular publication. Usually can be obtained directly from the publication. If a fishing supplies retailer wanted to target the readers of Sport Fishing Magazine, it would want that publication's subscriber list. Affiliate ListA mailing list of a partner business' clientele. Obtained through your affiliation with the business. If a local gym has an affiliate relationship with a local smoothie shop and wants to send an email to the smoothie shop's customers, the list of email addresses it would get from the smoothie shop would be considered an affiliate list. SIC Code ListA mailing list for B-to-B marketers and businesses. Target businesses by their government issued industry code (SIC). If a national marketing firm wanted to promote its services to dental surgeons, but not general dental practitioners, it could pull an SIC code mailing list based on the specific code for dental surgeons. Opt-In ListA mailing list compiled from individuals who asked to receive information about a particular topic. If a high-fashion retailer wanted to target people it knew were interested in the latest fashion trends, its would want an opt-in list of people who asked for fashion updates. Questions to Ask Before You Buy How often is your data updated?Answer should be, "monthly," ideally. Do you guarantee deliverability?Answer should be, "Yes." What amount of deliverability do you guarantee?Answer should be, "90 percent," or higher. Will you refund postage on bad addresses as well as the cost of each bad record?Industry standard maxes out at 10 percent refunds for bad addresses, but you definitely want to know what the company's policy is. Can I reuse this list?If they say, "Sure, as much as you want," be suspicious. Reputable compilers charge extra for multi-use lists. This is normal and always worth it in the long run. One mailing one time to one list won't give you the results you seek. Repeating your message to the same list is vital. Last Tip: Have any mailing list you use run through the NCOA (National Change of Address) system periodically to get updated addresses and remove bad records. This costs a fee, but if you don't do it, you end up spending way more on undeliverable postage. So that's it for your crash course in mailing lists. Now put your new knowledge to use and get the one thing that can improve your return on investment more than anything else—an EPIC mailing list! Joy Gendusa is the owner and CEO of Clearwater, Fla.-based direct mail marketing firm PostcardMania. Reach her at joy.gendusa@postcardmania.com or on Google+.

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Mailing List Survival Guide

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Joy Gendusa