Of all the factors that can make or break your marketing campaign, none is as crucial as your direct mail list.
For over 50 years, savvy marketers have followed the formula for success laid out by the late Ed Mayer, who said that 40% of a marketing effort comes down to your mailing list (ie data). ). your offer or message makes up another 40%, and 20% is everything else, like formatting, copy, and other creative elements.
To ensure you reach the right audience, in addition to optimizing your printing and mailing costs, you need to focus on your direct mailing lists.
what is a mailing list?
In its most basic form, a mailing list is a collection of names and physical addresses (and other contact information) of your customers and prospects. but now, in 2021, it is much more.
Today, a mailing list is a collection of customer demographics, as well as lifestyle and buying behavior. It gives you a complete picture of the general audience for your products and services so you can personalize your offers through 1-to-1 targeting and personalization.
types of direct mail lists
There are several types of direct mail lists. which one you use depends on your audience(s) and your goals for reaching them. Other important factors include your budget, your timeframes, and other resources that figure into your campaign planning.
in house lists
Your local mailing list (own data) is a great place to start. should give you some early clues about your audience’s demographic profile, as well as buying behavior and preferences.
direct response lists
Also known as third-party data, these lists are golden because they represent real buyers of products or services that are just like yours. and with breakdowns by average order size, etc., you’ll have plenty of what you need for campaign planning.
compiled data lists
Third party data is collected from many different sources and is intended to blend well with your existing lists, especially for any demographic or behavioral information.
event lists
Events, both live and virtual, are a good source of names for your outreach. You get current names, contact information, as well as psychographic data about these buyers, especially in the b2b space.
subscription lists
Another good source of new names is a list of subscribers to a publication (physical or digital) or recurring service. again, it’s about matching their interests or preferences with what you offer.
four steps to a strong direct mail list
maybe you are satisfied with your current mailing list. if so, congratulations! if not, you’ll need to work on how to improve it and increase your chances of creating a successful email campaign.
here are several ways to get started.
1. define your target audience
Who are your buyers? more than anything else, you have to realize that. If you have more than one audience, that’s fine, but you may not want to use the same strategy or tactic to target them identically. doing so will risk wasting time and money.
2. choose your shipping strategy
Which direct mailing list technique will work best to reach your specific target group? To help answer this question, you’ll need to consider your current and long-term budget, timeline, and campaign goals.
Two main strategies can be used to reach your audience.
- saturation email: Is everyone (or almost everyone) in a geographic area or demographic group a prospect? if so, you can send mail to a high percentage (between 75 and 100 percent) of residential and business addresses in a specific area. lower data preparation costs; some basic filtering cons: lower response rates; less accurate filtering; no personalizationideal for: driving word of mouth and awareness marketing; marketers of broad-interest products and services (e.g., supermarkets, restaurants, utilities)
- targeted mail: Targeting refines your message to make it more appealing because it reflects the interests and needs of your client or prospect.pros: increased relevance of your offer, as well as copy and other creative elementscons: higher cost for data processing/planning; some customizations may be considered intrusive or in violation of privacy.
3. segment your direct mail lists
Direct mail segmentation is a crucial step in creating campaigns that deliver more of what your customers want. Instead of blowing up broad-based audiences, you can focus your direct mail lists on more defined data sets. for example, you can query:
- geographic: a client’s physical location
- demographic: a client’s gender, age, ethnicity, income, occupation, education level, and household type
- behavioral: buying patterns, habits and preferences
- psychographic: a customer’s interests, lifestyles, activities and values
- firmographic: b2b data such as industry, revenue, and number of employees
To be successful in the market, your copy and offers must test different variables, either alone or in combination, to shape your direct mail.
4. test your direct mail list frequently
as the late salesman mal decker said, “two rules and only two rules exist in marketing: rule no. 1: try everything. rule no. 2: see rule no. 1.”
Here are some campaign elements to consider:
- segments (see above)
- formats
- offers/prices
- premiums
- types of postage
- creative elements
… and many more. The possibilities are endless in direct mail, but your budget and time considerations will also play a role in your decisions.
questions to ask before receiving your direct mail lists
Success in direct mail starts with finding the right partner. after all, few companies can do it all on their own.
so when looking for companies that fit your needs, you’ll need to ask the right questions on your mailing list:
- what is your experience with audience targeting?
- has your list been updated through usps ncoa (national change of address) in the last 90 days?
- Do I get exclusivity on mailing lists?
- Can I contact your current and former clients?
- Do you send campaigns internally?
When you have answers you’re comfortable with, you’ll be closer to reaching your marketing goals.
wrapping it
If you need help, the direct mailing list experts at mailing.com have years of experience working on complex campaigns that use data of all kinds. we can help you put together a complete and profitable direct mail campaign to achieve your goals quickly.
Write us or call us! we’d love to show you how you can put modern direct mail to work in your next campaign.