Direct Mail 3
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What kinds of lists can I get?
There are two broad categories of mailing lists: compiled lists and response lists. Compiled lists are created by getting names, addresses, and phone numbers from phone books, industry listings, and government lists of business names. Each name on the list may be verified by a phone call and, in some cases, names of contacts (if a business) can be added to the compiled information. A response list is a list of people who have responded to some appeal—a mail order ad, a subscription offer, etc. These lists generally cost more and produce better responses than a compiled list.
How often can you use a mailing list you get from a mailing list broker?
It depends on the company and the list and on the form in which you buy it. It used to be that you could only rent mailing lists for one-time use. Now, however, you can purchase some lists on CD-ROM and use the list as often as you want within the time frame specified in your agreement with the mailing list company. Response lists generally aren't available on diskettes.
How does the list broker know if you reuse the list?
Lists are "seeded" with names of people who get and track mailings to prevent unauthorized reuse of lists.
What does it cost to buy or rent a mailing list?
The base prices for mailing lists start at about 10 cents per name and go up. How much they go up depends on how detailed and specific you want the information to be. For instance, if you want the names and phone numbers for contacts in the HR departments, you might wind up paying 60 cents or more for each lead (name). If all you need is a business name and location, you might get away as little as 10 cents per name. You also might be able to save by purchasing CD-ROMs disk that contains, say, all the businesses in the country. On top of the base prices for lists, you normally pay extra for selecting names by zip code and for pressure-sensitive (self-sticking) labels. You also pay extra if you want phone numbers in addition to addresses or if you want names and titles of contact people at various organizations. In many cases there are minimum fees or a minimum number of names you must rent at once. One company, for instance, requires a minimum order of five thousand names for response lists.
How do I choose a list?
You choose a list that matches as closely as possible the characteristics of your customers or expected customers. For instance, you might be able to get a list of all female executives who have purchased some type of mail order product in the last six months. If you can describe your typical customer to the list broker, he or she should be able to help you identify and get the best list for your needs. You could also compile your own list from your knowledge of an industry or from the local phone book.
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