Select a mailing list - What you should know before you buy or rent a list
In this, the first of this two-part article set, you'll learn from our discussion of types of mailing lists, and two of the best places to buy lists. In the second part you learn how the other nine places to buy a mailing list. There are two types of direct mail lists, as determined by their origin: compiled direct mail lists and answer e-mail lists. Compiled Direct mailing Compiled mailing lists are a common source of names and address records that have been gathered, collected, and entered into a database. The names have been acquired through public records as owner of the vehicle registrations, court transcripts, or private sources such as warranty card or buyer in a store. Most of the compiled mailing lists generated from the categories in phone books across the U.S. Examples of some of these compiled lists available from the phone books would be a list of all the photo studios, or a list of all luggage retailers in the United States. Or a mailing list of all the dealers plumbing supply, or Chevy or Ford bodies. Most industries have trade directories that are usually compiled industry data from various sources, most are verified by phone and doing pretty good direct mail lists. A directory of pet product manufacturers would or heating and cooling contractors to be good examples of an industry, compiled direct mail lists. Remember that the compiled information - like fish - gets old pretty quickly and not age particularly well. Mailing lists fall into the top of this category - The fresher the name, the better. The older names, the less precise - and the greater your return. Answers Direct mail lists direct mail lists Answers are usually databases for customers who have requested or purchased from a direct response advertising, direct mail catalog, from a direct mail offer, direct-selling TV ads, direct response newspaper advertisement, or other direct response offer. The most common answer direct mail lists are from catalog merchants. Before you consider buying a direct mail list, analyze the database with your own customers. Ask yourself exactly what similarities they have, then look for these features in a new mailing list database. Start searching for a new mailing list based on your ideal target audience. Find a list that closely matches the definable characteristics of your own customers. If this is accurate mailing list is not available, see how close you could buy the most perfect list of business mail - and test mail to the small numbers. Measure and track responses. Today's direct mail can be very precisely targeted because the precision of the mailing list data available. If you could well provide an e-mail list, you can probably find a list perfectly suited to your needs. The more you qualify the names of your e-mail list, the higher you set your ideal segmented mailing list, the more answers and less wasted advertising expense you have in your direct mail campaign. The higher your answer, the better chance of success and profit. Your choice of a direct mailing list has more to do with your success or failure than any other single part of your mailing. Before any item, estimate the percentage response you need to break even and see if it is realistic. If it is above 2%, better think again mailings. The exact orientation of direct mailing make one of the most efficient and cost effective way to advertise as long as you define your target audience on the front and match your direct mail list to your audience. Delivery of your direct mail depends on the accuracy and timeliness of your list. Better quality, new mailing lists have been much better delivery rates. A bad list can mean up to 20% or 30% of your regular mail (bulk rate) will not be delivered. 10% more will be delivered, but you will not know to whom. Of that 20% to 30%, will any of your direct mail back to you, look up beyond recognition by the postal service and certainly of no value. Get some pieces were delivered, but to the wrong address. Other parts of your email just disappearing, and no one really knows where they went. However, when you buy a new, accurate list, direct mail delivery can be as high as a whopping 95% - 97%! Some of the best supply the proportion of direct mailing lists mailing can be found in the publisher's list of their journal subscribers. Magazine mailing lists have been among the highest delivery rates. For good reason: directories are very focused on their annual qualifying newspaper readers. Publishers pay for return: so their mailing lists have a high deliverability rates as editor is extremely quick with the name and address corrections. Most publishing houses will rent their mailing list for non-competitive bids (as anything other than like newspapers). If you see a magazine that looks to be a good target for your direct mail campaign, call the publisher and inquire about the subscriber mailing list is for rent. Most major publications will offer its list through a mailing list broker, so you will be out this company. 1st Journals Mailing Lists There are over 10,000 magazines published in the United States. Chances are good that you can get a magazine subscription list subscriber mail that goes directly to your perfectly targeted buyers. If you are not sure what the newspapers would have the best email list to reach your target audience, there are some easy to use paper catalogs, see the reference section of most libraries. (They are online, too - but they are subscription-based only and quite expensive!) You can read the magazine's profile and see if their audience would make a good list for you to email offers for your products. The best directories of magazines Bacon's Directory of newspapers and Oxbridge Communications Standard Periodical Directory. If you can not find the exact targeted magazine filled with eager to buy-your-subscribers product you are looking for in any of these directories, the publication does not exist. You can find every industry and every single newspaper that is sent to the industry - in under 10 minutes in these powerful directories. As a practicing marketer, I pretty much live in those directories. 2nd Catalog Merchants Direct Marketing Mailing Lists Catalog houses make a lot of their revenue from the sale of their list. Call directory number house telephone and ask for their corporate office and ask who handles their marketing mailing list. Almost all houses directory sell their mailing lists - it is a big profit center than can account for as much as 20% of their revenues. Catalogs can be found in the mail order catalogs from Grey House Publishing (www.greyhouse.com) This directory is a fantastic publication and the best source in the catalog industry. In each catalog description and write up, it gives the number of catalogs sent, and the name of the broker who handles sales list. This is the first of two articles on mailing lists. In the second part of this article we will discuss the next nine places to buy a direct mail list.
http://harvard.edu