“For those in the business of direct marketing by post, the term ‘junk mail’ couldn’t be further from the truth.

“‘It’s only junk if it’s not relevant to you,’ explains Belinda Neal, a partner at London-based direct marketing agency 21:12. ‘And if it’s not relevant, that’s due to poor targeting.'”

– from “The Subliminal Secrets of Junk Mail” on the BBC website

Targeting is at the heart of every successful direct mail campaign.

You may have the best mailing package with great copy and fabulous design … but without the best list, you will not get the response you need to grow your business.

The best list is your own “in-house” list of customers and prospects.

Unfortunately, not many companies capture the names and addresses of customers and of prospects for mailing purposes.

If you don’t have an in-house list, or if you are looking to find new customers or prospects, you can purchase targeted customer or business mailing lists.

You can purchase lists that are targeted by geographic location and/or by demographics to find a list that matches your needs.

But here’s where you need to be careful.

When it comes to getting targeted lists, most people begin looking for a “list broker.”

List brokers are people who act as middlemen between people who have lists and people who need lists.

As with any “agent” business, some agents are good at what they do.

Some are bad at what they do.

And some are … well, shall we say … less than scrupulous.

But ultimately – good, bad, or ugly – the list broker has a single focus: to sell you a list.

Nothing wrong with that.

Except you aren’t there *just* to buy a list.

You are there to have a successful mailing campaign.

So while ultimately you may need a list broker, it may not be the best “first stop” when it comes to creating a successful mailing campaign.

Instead, there are two better choices:

1. Online, Do-It-Yourself

If you have a clear idea of the type of targeting you need, you can cut out the middleman and get the list yourself online.

We offer free online list targeting.

You can enter your criteria through our website, and get an instant count of the number of mailing addresses available and the cost of the list – at no charge and without any obligation to purchase.

The only thing you’ll need is a free account on our site.

You can sign up for your free account here:

https://www.zairmail.com/go/free-account

2. Work with a direct mail specialist

Instead of a list broker, who narrowly focuses on selling lists, it just makes more sense to work with someone can help you every step of the way in direct mail.

You don’t want someone who just dumps a list on you and then lets you struggle through the rest of the process.

Instead you need someone who has a vested interest in seeing you and your mailing succeed.

You need someone who can help you through every single step of your entire campaign, from targeting to mailing piece design to response tracking, be a success.

That someone is a direct mail specialist.

And right now, we are offering our daily email readers a free consultation with our direct mail specialists.

Just go here to sign up for your free consultation:

https://www.zairmail.com/go/free-dm-consult

Whenever I talk about using direct mail for marketing to your prospects and customers, some wise guy usually pops up and says …

“Everyone knows direct mail is dead. We switched to email years ago, and it has worked great.”

My response?

Of course, email worked great back when you switched.

But have you looked at it today?

Listen, I could quote him (and you) statistics on how direct mail is more effective today than ever.

I could tell you about how some marketers are seeing dramatically higher response to their direct mail than in the 1980s.

I could tell you that higher-income households (those earning $65K per year or more) respond today to direct mail in higher numbers than we saw back in the pre-internet days of 1987.

I could tell you fact after statistic after survey that shows direct mail is kicking butt right now.

But when it comes to debating the merits of email vs. direct mail.

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand statistics:

(Thanks to Victor at Poofytoo for the picture.)

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.

Join us for a new DAILY email series on Direct Mail Marketing. Join us as we explore ways to save money and improve response in your direct mail campaigns.

You’ll get tips and advice from us here at Zairmail, as well as from leading industry experts.

To sign up, visit https://www.zairmail.com/daily.

And as our thank-you for signing up, you will also receive a copy of our special report on The Six Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Your Direct Mail Campaigns.

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.

We want to thank you for another great year. Thank you all for giving us a chance to help out!

This year we launched a new website complete with responsive design, a simplified workflow, and a new look (brand). We also improved letter/snap-pack delivery times, implemented automatic letter tracking, and expanded our mailing list options (including credit score data). Of course, even with all these changes, we continued to deliver the personal service you have come to know and trust from Zairmail.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity and your trust. In the coming year we will add a new daily newsletter with plenty of tips and factoids designed to help grow your business. If you haven’t signed up yet, don’t miss a single issue DAILY Direct Mail Tips.

We will continue to work hard for you in 2016. We are always open to your feedback or suggestions regarding new features/services.

Happy Holidays from the entire Zairmail team!

Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.