Mailing Lists

With literally tens of thousands of mailing lists on the market, you need an experienced guide that knows the ins and outs of the industry... which lists to avoid and which are likely to produce results. Understanding which list categories might perform for your offer depends on many factors, and only by investing the time and energy up front can you hope to have success. For over 25 years our list brokers have been doing just that. We have extensive experience working on mailing campaigns in virtually every industry.

Choosing The Right List

How important is the list? Direct mail pioneer Ed Mayer's assessment is famously known as the 40/40/20 rule which states that success in direct mail is 40% lists, 40% offer and 20% everything else. In other words almost half of your results depend on getting it right with the audience and the mailing list!

The best place to look when defining your target audience is at your existing customer data. What characteristics do your best customers have in common? If you are a B2B mailer be sure to study how the industry, company size or job title defines your best customers. For consumer mailings, are basic demographics such as age, gender and income enough or is lifestyle targeting needed?

Not surprisingly, catalog companies have great success mailing to lists of known catalog buyers and fundraisers are most successful when appealing to donors to similar causes. The better you understand your current customers, the easier it is to find new business prospects.[return to top]

Not All Lists Are Created Equal

The most important questions you should ask when evaluating mailing list options pertain to the source. Questions like "How was this mailing list generated?" and "Where do the contacts on this mailing list come from?" should be easy to answer.

Nearly all mailing lists can be classified as either a "compiled" or a "response" list based on the source method. Compiled lists are built mostly from public records such as telephone directories, tax data, court documents and other government records. Response lists are comprised of active responders to direct mail offers, making them more likely to respond to your mailing. Product buyers, magazine subscribers and event attendees are examples of response lists.

While response lists are typically preferred there is often a shortage of suitable contacts for local mailers. Compiled databases offer a much larger pool to target when mailing by ZIP code, county or other small geographic area. [return to top]

How Can We Help?

At MultiChannel Marketing Group we pride ourselves in conducting a thorough discovery of our client's needs and objectives. Contact our mailing list brokers for expert help with list recommendations for your next direct mail marketing campaign.

Call us toll-free at (877) 592-9892 or email us at listsales@multichannelmg.com.

Benefits of Using an
MMG List Broker:

Reason #3

You get the experience of direct marketing veterans without any additional costs. Our team of list brokers can help you avoid the perils and pitfalls of mailing, telemarketing and email list selection. Click here to learn more.

• Contact Us:
• Toll Free: (877) 592-9892
• Email: sales@multichannelmg.com

• 2220 San Jacinto Boulevard
• Suite 102
• Denton, Texas 76205