Reaching new customers is extremely important in growing your business, and doing this via direct mail can be extremely effective if done the right way.

The power of direct mail is that it gives you the ability to reach the right person with the right offer to achieve your desired objectives. First and foremost, the focus should be on reaching the right person (aka your target audience) and this is a crucial play in your direct mail campaign.

Obtaining or renting mailing lists is easy, but using the wrong data will most likely lead to undesirable results and failure of your direct mail campaign, not to mention the wasted expenses. So obviously, the goal is to start off on the right foot by finding proper data.

Here are some suggestions to help you do that:

  1. Create an acquisition mailing plan. Get an idea of list costs, then determine how many lists you need to fit your campaign budget. Always good to have an idea at the outset!
  2. Define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? It is standard for mailing lists to come with a description of what kind of list it is, for example, it could be DRTV list which are people who have purchased direct from TV like from an infomercial or from a home shopping network. If you are selling something particular like golf clubs and your target audience are golfers, then you should be looking for golfing related lists.
  3. Once you find the lists, determine if you need to narrow down the list even further to match your particular audience. Lists are often selectable by different attributes like sex, age, income, etc. If you are marketing to golfers who are 50 years old or above only, then request for a 50+ age select. Note that each select you do comes at a small additional cost though, but if it is to the benefit of your campaign then it’s worth it.
  4. Your list broker is your go-to guy/gal for expert advice. Do not be afraid to ask them to provide you with a list recommendation. That’s what they are there for. Remember, not all lists are created equally and your broker knows why!
  5. Revisit and refine your mail plan and budget. Take into account what you’re willing to lose on this campaign. Let’s be real, not every acquisition mailing is going to be profitable, in fact most are not. Take it as a loss leader in order to reap the benefits on the back end.

When you focus on your data and really target your audience the impact of direct mail can be extremely beneficial to your campaign. Find out more about JR Direct’s List Services and how we can help you find the right targeted mailing lists for your direct mail campaign.