Getting the right message to the right person at the right time is critical to the success of a direct mail campaign. Sending a birthday greeting to someone five months late or trying to market yachts to recent high school graduates is not only unlikely to succeed, but it eats into your budget while potentially damaging your reputation.
Targeted mailing lists allow for greater personalization to enhance the appeal for specific, qualified recipients. Tailoring the message increases its relevance, which in turn improves engagement and response rates across industries.
While targeting at scale was impossible in generations past, modern digital printing equipment such as the HP PageWide Web Press T240 HD enables senders to change multiple facets of the same mailing to customize the piece to an individual.
A consumer direct mailing list includes individuals who may purchase goods or services for personal use. Demographic data used to create the list can incorporate geographic area, age, income, ethnicity, political leanings, education, interests, subscriptions, memberships, physical ailments, and more.
Occupant mailing lists are directed at households, with correspondence sometimes addressed to “Resident” rather than a specific name. While the lists and postage for these lists are not expensive, they usually don't perform as well as personalized lists.
Business direct, or B2B mailing lists, focus on companies. Data related to business type, revenue, location, number of employees, years in business, NAICS code, and more can be used to reach the right recipients.
Compiled mailing lists are often broader than other varieties and frequently used to target geographic regions and key demographics. They bring together contacts and data from several sources, often including public records. Segmenting can help subdivide the list into more focused categories, for improved targeting.
A response mailing list contains exclusive contacts who have responded to a previous offer from another company. Since they’ve engaged with previous offers, recipients may be more likely to do so again.
A house mailing list consists of a company’s proprietary contacts, which may consist of customers, subscribers, club members, and others.
New parents are often in the market for furniture, toys, clothing, diapers, and other items for their babies, so companies in relevant industries frequently employ this type of list for maximum results.
Anyone new to the area may be looking for local services, professionals, restaurants, and more, making them valuable targets for associated campaigns.
This may be particularly useful for realtors and mortgage lenders. By also incorporating income information, a renter mailing list may help narrow the recipient pool to individuals who are potentially qualified and interested in homeownership.
Home service providers and refinancing services often prefer to target exclusively homeowners and eliminate businesses, renters, and P.O. boxes from their mailing lists. A homeowner mailing list may incorporate information on the down payment, mortgage type, purchase date, purchase amount, and more.
Some products and services carry a ticket price that’s prohibitive for lower-income consumers. Sending mailings based on household income can help ensure recipients have the resources necessary to make a purchase.
Filtering by existing customers and those who have purchased from you in the past creates opportunities for follow-ups, loyalty programs, and special offers to attract repeat business.
Sending a birthday greeting or special offer can add a friendly, personal touch while keeping your business at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
While these are among the most common options, a targeted mailing list can be directed at virtually any group as long as sufficient data is available.
The next time you're preparing a direct mail campaign, contact us or request a free quote.