If you are undertaking a direct mail campaign, you will most likely be
renting a mailing list. These lists are easy enough to find through the many
list houses and brokers in the business. A trickier feat is evaluating the lists
to determine if the contents, terms, and maintenance of the list suit your
needs.
In order to be sure you understand what you are buying, ask a lot of
questions of your list vendor. Among the topics you will want to ask about are
the source of the lists, the use you are allowed to make of them, and what you
will pay for the list. To help you create a comprehensive list of questions, use
the following five as a foundation.
How often is the list updated?
In the space of one year, half of a business list can become outdated. In other
words, 50% of a business-to-business mailing list is no good after one year.
Consumer lists age at a rate of 2 percent per month. Inquire about when the list
you are buying was updated or you may find yourself paying for names that are no
good.
What is the source of the list?
Each list has a profile that outlines the age, education level, interests,
gender, etc. of the people on the list. The details of where these names comes
from can help you accomplish several things. One, it can separate marketing hype
of a profile from information about the value of the names. Two, it can help you
determine if the people on the list have been overmailed to and will be open to
receiving a mailing about your product or service.
Will you be credited for any names currently in your database?
Many list houses only charge you for names you don’t currently have in your
database. You run the list against your database and pay only for names that are
new to you.
When are names gathered for the list you are buying?
Some mail houses do several large mailings a year to prospect for names. Finding
out when these mailings occur will enable you to buy when the list is fresh.
What are you buying?
Mailing lists charge different prices for names depending on whether you are
buying, for example, a phone number or just an address. When you are price
shopping, be sure you are testing similar lists against one another. Other
differences include the methods used to create the list. For example, compiled
lists are, as the name suggests, put together by combining a variety of lists
whereas direct response lists are generated by encouraging people or businesses
to offer their name up as part of a survey, contest, or other activity.
Before purchasing any list, ask for the names and numbers of businesses who
have purchased the list in the last six months. Ask these people what their
response rate was, how many returned mailers they got due to bad addresses and
any other questions you have that will help you determine the value of the list.
