Once you have created a profile of your best marketing leads, you can use this information to build a targeted list online of potential new leads. Targeted direct mailing lists can be expensive, but they’re likely to garner the best response rate and profit and generate the most profitable leads and loyal customers.
It’s practically impossible to overstate the importance of mailing lists to the success of your direct-mail program. Lists represent your market segments, and if your mailing doesn’t reach the right market, it doesn’t stand a chance. The more careful you are in analyzing and selecting direct mailing lists, the better your chances for success.
Consumer and business direct mailing lists
For consumer sales leads, the characteristics used to refine a direct mailing list might be a combination of the following:
- Geographic such as county, radius around a store or neighborhood
- Demographic, such age, income, gender, presence of children
- Behavioral, such as lifestyle activities (golf, photography, gardening, boating) or shopping
- methods/interests (purchased online; mail-order buyer for gardening, clothing or jewelry)
- Life stage events, such as new parents, new homeowners, new movers or retirees
For business mailing lists, the characteristics used to segment might be a combination of the following:
- Geographic, such as county, radius around a store or neighborhood
- Business type (SIC or NAICS)
- Firmographic, such as company sales, annual sales amount, years in business
Create your direct mailing lists by selecting the characteristics associated with your best customers. Through this process, you are able to build a list of likely candidates for the services or products that your business offers.
Learn more about types of targeted mailing lists
Next steps: Create a successful direct-mail piece
