Direct mail might be fairly easy to brush off in a modern world. When everyone is staring at their phones, how exactly can they be torn away to focus long enough on a piece of mail? The short answer to the title question is that a list can provide some serious economic opportunities, but you will have to both start with the right one and know how to use it.

 Start with Accurate Data 

An accurate direct mail list is one that’s been vetted long before you get it. This means that if someone moved, the NCOA (National Change of Address) database was consulted. You’ll also want to make sure that your list is full of people who are able to pay for your product or service and have a need for it. 

Use Geo Targeting for a Fresh Perspective 

Geo targeting is the process of breaking up your list by location. A zip code certainly can’t tell you everything about a person, but it can tell you something about their income bracket and general demographic. (Also, if you have multiple branches for your business, it tells them which location is nearest to them.) 

Loose statistics, like the average age of the population or the ratio of men to women, can be insightful when it comes to how you market. Granted, some of this will still be trial and error. For instance, maybe one zip code prefers a hand-written letter while another prefers a short postcard with a few key items listed.

Geo targeting is a smart way to optimize your communications, so you’re getting the most bang for your buck. At Conversion Marketing, we help our clients segment however they need to. So if you wanted to divide people based on the services or goods they’ve purchased in the past, this might be a more lucrative strategy than segmenting based on zip codes. 

Tips for Better Direct Mail Lists 

We know it’s inside the box to tell you to think outside the box, but it really can pay off to put a little effort into what you send your customers. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Give people a choice: Not everyone wants direct mail, and this is true even if they signed up to be contacted by your company (or a company like you). If you can, give them an option to receive e-correspondence only somewhere in your text. 
• Think about newsletters, postcards, or brochures: A letter, particularly one that proclaims loud and clear that it was sent in bulk, is easy to throw away without opening. At least with these items, you maximize the chance that someone will see your message. 
• Make your own opportunities: Direct mail can be a part of your brand in a number of ways. For instance, you might include a letter in every sale. Or you might come out with a clever catalog every season that boasts everything from humor to stock unit numbers.

 Deliverable direct mail lists can work to your advantage by putting you in the driver seat. Once you have all the information at your fingertips, you can start putting all of your plans in motion. 

Contact Conversion Marketing 

Conversion Marketing offers affordable direct mail lists and data to our customers, so they can start connecting with people and building the kinds of relationships that make for better revenue. Often the first contact point with a customer is a piece of direct mail, and the impression you make can go a long way toward your next interaction. Contact us today to learn more about how we can make a difference.