Mailing lists are as common to marketers as reciting the ABC’s. But don’t just go through the motions when it comes to creating your targeted mailing list. If you are investing time and money into your marketing strategy, then you should guarantee that you are getting the maximum return.
If you want a substantial increase in business from your mailing list, then you need a expert list provider to pick the right data to fit your company.
Enjoy the tips below on how to reach and engage more people on your mailing lists. Click here to receive 500 free mailing list leads for you to practice with.
Step 1. Familiarize Yourself with Your Customers Using First-Party Data
First-party data is important when it comes to creating audience segments and personas based on purchasing habits. Just like a performing artist, to be successful, marketers need to understand their audience. A great marketer knows their cliental like the back of their hand and will segment their consumer databases into categories to serve their needs. If you have first-party data, this is the first audience you should put in your email marketing database.
Do you know the average age and annual income of your customer segments? To optimize your budget, we recommend doing market research on your customer list to gain insight into your different customer segments. For example, you may find that single, 20 year-olds spend more on your products or services than the married 40 year-old customers that you thought were your primary target audience. While this is an extreme example, it is a worthwhile exercise.
Whether you are using first-party data to find out more about your customers or to create a personalized newsletter for repeat buyers, it will always be the best place to start.
However, because first-party data relies on your own customer-base, it should not be relied on for rapid growth. That is where third-party data fills in the gaps.
Step 2. Maximize Reach to New Potential Customers Using Third-Party Data
Retrieving third-party data is crucial to your business, because it gives you a broad reach of potential new customers who have never interacted with your brand. The quality of third-party data ranges depending on the company, which is why it is important to only trust a data-selling professional, like LISTGIANT.
LISTGIANT uses a multi-source verification method to guarantee that you are provided the best quality up-to-date data. We take pride in our data and long-term customer relationships.
Without a good direct mailing list, you could send advertisements to the wrong people or no one at all. This means wasted money on your end. That would be a shame, because you can generate a lot of business with quality data. With quality third-party data, you can test out different markets and customer segments and improve your brand reach. Quality list providers will help you narrow data into segments so that you can target people that have real potential to be interested in your direct mailing campaign. We recommend combining third-party data with first party data to maximize reach and engagement.
Step 3. Mail an Effective Ad Using These Tips
Personalize Your Message
Once you have your targeted mailing list, it’s time to check the effectiveness of what you’re sending. With quality data you can find out the name, address, and interests of your recipients. Why waste that information when you can create a welcoming, personalized message? Use the recipient’s name and tailor to their liking. People are more likely to respond to a friend than a stranger. Don’t seem impersonal.
Offer Something Valuable
If you aren’t a household name, you’ll need to offer enough value to cut through the noise and get engagement. Make sure that you are providing something that is valuable and memorable to the customer. The customer is opening their mail at home and will either have to pick up the phone, go online, fill out a subscription, or go to your store to purchase your product. Make sure the customer can see that your product, offer, or service is worth that effort.
Have a Clear Call to Action
Make it as easy for the user to claim the offer or value as possible. No one is going to go through a ton of effort for something they aren’t sure they will get a big return on. Make sure that you aren’t asking too much from your customer. Each extra step that you require is another chance for them to rethink their purchase.
One of the amazing benefits of appending third-party data lists is that if a customer simply puts a couple items of information in a mail-in form, that data can be matched with previously collected information on that individual. That means fewer items for the customer to fill-out.
Branding
We all hate mixed messages. If you’ve spent years creating a certain look for your company, that’s how you will be associated in the customer’s brain. If you send an advertisement that clashes with how you have been presenting yourself, the customer may be confused. So, while it is important to keep the psychology of colors in mind while creating direct mailing advertisements, remember to focus on your brand and its signature colors.
Align Color and Design Theory with Goals
Don’t feel forced to use every bit of white space. The eyes need a place to relax to not get confused or overwhelmed. Colors have a big impact on how people engage and get feelings from direct mail. Take the time to do the research and use the right colors. Chances are that your customer is only glancing at their mail. Colors are your first impression and can help set the mood.
Now You’re Ready to Send to Your Perfect Mailing List
Familiarizing and maximizing your audiences in addition to curating custom direct mailers will give you the best possible ROI. We hope that you enjoyed our tips and tricks to make your direct mail efforts mean business. LISTGIANT has helped over 11,000 businesses download over 674 million records. We are proud to have helped businesses increase their revenue for over 15 years and maintain long-term, happy client relationships.
Now it’s our turn to help you.
Be sure to practice with our 500 free mailing list leads. We have an easy to use List Portal that allows you to download your mailing lists 24/7 with a seemingly endless number of demographic and psychographic filtering options. If you have any confusion with our List Portal please call us at (805) 267-1575, or schedule a walk through with us here. Happy mailing!