When using direct mail one of the first things to consider is the list you want to mail to. There are many different options for lists and any mailing company that you go to will have access to many of their own. But which list is right for your company?
When picking a list you need to analyze your specific type of customer. Do you sell to just businesses or are you a business to consumer company? Do your customers live in a certain area or have a specific income level? Are your customers primarily male or female? These are all questions to consider. A direct mailing list can be wide ranging and include many different people or it can be extremely targeted and include a few very specific people. The list you select should be based on your usual customers. Next let’s look at some different types of lists.
Every Door Direct Mail
This is a type of list that includes every door in a specified area. You can select a zip code or a few mailing routes to send to. This is a very inexpensive and comprehensive list. The pros to a list like this are that you can mail to a wide range of people for a small cost. The cons would be that you can not specify which doors to mail to. If this is your list, then everyone along this mailing route will get one of your mailing pieces. If you have the type of business that appeals to the majority of people, then this is the best route to take.
Targeted List
There are many different targeted lists you can select. The post office or your local mailing company should have access to these lists. These are effective if your company has a strong consumer profile built. If you know that the majority of your customers are millennials between ages 19 and 29 who are in a specific income bracket, then that list is out there for you. It is amazing how specific some of these lists can get. The pros to this list are that almost every piece you send out will be put into the hands of the exact type of consumer that your company is aiming for. This will give you a higher return on investment. The cons are that this list is more expensive than the Every Door Direct Mail List. But if you can effectively target your specific customers then this list will pay off more.
Personal Database
This type of list is one that was made by your own company. It will include past customers and prospects that you have collected information on. This is a great way to reach out to people who have previously bought from you and ones who you believe have a high probability of becoming a customer. The pros to this list are that it is the most effective mailing list. This is the most highly targeted list and will have the best returns. The cons are that this list takes a very long time to put together and involves a lot of extra effort on your company’s side.
Regardless of which list you decide is best for your company the most important part of a direct mail campaign is in the tracking of your results. You must track your results so that you can decide what worked and what did not work. Then you can make minor tweaks to your piece and to your list to make your return even higher. This will increase the effectiveness of each direct mail campaign that you run.
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