“For those in the business of direct marketing by post, the term ‘junk mail’ couldn’t be further from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“‘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.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– from “The Subliminal Secrets of Junk Mail” on the BBC website<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Targeting is at the heart of every successful direct mail campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best list is your own “in-house” list of customers and prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, not many companies capture the names and addresses of customers and of prospects for mailing purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can purchase lists that are targeted by geographic location and\/or by demographics to find a list that matches your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But here’s where you need to be careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to getting targeted lists, most people begin looking for a “list broker.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
List brokers are people who act as middlemen between people who have lists and people who need lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As with any “agent” business, some agents are good at what they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some are bad at what they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And some are … well, shall we say … less than scrupulous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But ultimately – good, bad, or ugly – the list broker has a single focus: to sell you a list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Except you aren’t there *just* to buy a list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are there to have a successful mailing campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, there are two better choices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We offer free online list targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only thing you’ll need is a free account on our site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can sign up for your free account here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n