Finding a Direct Marketing Mailing List

The right direct mailing list can target your most profitable customers.

A good mailing list is the key to any successful direct-marketing campaign. You can develop one of your own as you grow and acquire customers, but you can also rent or lists from numerous brokers and vendors. Marketing lists typically cost from about $40 to over $100 per thousand names for one-time use. Some lists are available for an outright buy.  Mailing list must-haves include:

1. Prospects with a history of purchasing in response to direct marketing
2. A demographic match with your target customer
3. Information about prospects' recent and frequent purchasing activity

Get the lay of the land for marketing lists

Before you start shopping, get a sense of how the system works. DM News, the preeminent trade paper for the direct-marketing industry, provides a free primer on lists.
direct marketing consultant from Business.com's directory may also be the way to go for a beginner.

Find list brokers

Direct marketing mailing list brokers specialize in finding just the right lists for a company's needs. As the name "broker" implies, they don't actually own the lists, but act as middlemen. Odds are, there are marketing lists that will satisfy whatever specs you seek.

Go with a B2B specialist

Business-to-business marketing lists reach people at their office or workplace. Consumer lists reach people at home. If you sell B2B, you'll want mailing list companies in that area.

Contact a trade association or publication for marketing lists

An association or trade publication may have a direct marketing mailing list of its own, or may be able to refer you to specialized mailing list companies.

Make sure you're in compliance with direct mailing list law

Direct marketing has come under a lot of legislative and regulatory scrutiny of late and you want to make sure that your direct-sales initiatives comply with federal regulations.
Federal Trade Commission and read the Direct Marketing Association's ethical guidelines.  Use list cleaners  or "Do Not Call" compliance software from Business.com's directory to stay within the rules.

• Ask brokers of marketing lists if they work with the market you're interested in. Some brokers concentrate on specific niches.
• Before you buy, mailing list companies should tell you about other companies like yours they have worked with in the past.
• Ask how often they update and clean their marketing lists, as well as where they get their names from.

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