Direct mailing is all about sending offers and promotions to your potential customers. This form of advertising is quite beneficial to businesses because it helps their potential and existing customers learn about new products and services. Furthermore, it is a cheap form of marketing, as you already have customers’ addresses and you do not have to spend a high advertising budget to acquire them. This article explains everything you should understand about direct mailing lists, and their importance in marketing.
What are Direct Mailing Lists?
Direct mailing lists are a crucial part of any direct mail campaign. When you make the decision to use direct mailing, you will have two options to choose from – make your own list or rent one. Building your own list might be expensive at first, but you can always use it several times, monitor it, and adjust it to ensure the best possible results. This makes it cheaper in the long term. On the other hand, a rented list is cheaper in the short term, as you can promote your products and services to potential customers immediately. However, it tends to be expensive going into the future, as most of them can only be used once.
How to Create Your Own Direct Mailing List
Building your own direct mailing list is the best route to take when considering using direct mail campaigns. Although it might take a lot of time to develop your own list, it will greatly reduce your marketing costs, and you can build a more trustworthy brand from it.
Here are some steps to follow when creating your own direct mailing list:
- Evaluate Existing Contacts
If you have been in business for quite a while, it is very likely that you already have some addresses on your computer or file. If this is the case then you have to compile the addresses you have in record and build your list from that.
- Examine External Sources
You do not have to rely solely on internal sources for your addresses, as you can access more from external sources such as trade directories, websites, magazines, and newspapers. When doing this, be sure to get addresses from people that have previously shown interest in similar products and services similar to those you are offering.
- Use Offers
Offers and discounts are a good way to get contacts from future potential customers. The best way to go about this is to offer a free product or service to those that drop their addresses. People will obviously give their correct information to be entered in the draw or contest. You can then use these addresses to build up our direct mailing list.
- Update Your List Occasionally
You need to update your list on a regular basis, as some people will want to be removed and others added to your list.
Benefits of a Direct Mailing List
- Targeted
The greatest advantage of a direct mailing list is that it is highly targeted. If you choose to build your own list, you have the option to add only those individuals you think would be interested in your products and services. On the other hand, if you opt to purchase a list, you can purchase one that has people interested in products and services from your industry.
- Cost Effective
Direct mailing lists are highly cost effective compared to other methods of marketing. The main reason behind this is that a business can acquire addresses of people that have previously shown interest in particular products and services. Therefore, the return on marketing investment is likely to be higher, as long as the products and services are of high quality.
- Measurable
Businesses can easily measure the success of their direct mail campaign. Most direct mail advertising campaigns are conducted using features like coupons, which customers can key in when making purchases. The frequency at which a coupon is used can help the business owner to measure the profitability of a specific campaign.
A direct mailing list is crucial for any business, as it comprises of addresses of people interested in your products and services. Promoting to these individuals is likely to bring you sales, leads, and revenue. The greatest advantage of direct mailing is that it is highly targeted, measurable, and cost effective. Since a mailing list is highly effective, you can choose to create your own or rent one. Rented lists are better, as they offer immediate results and are highly targeted.