Direct Mail List Brokers
Direct Mail List Brokers is a phrase that is increasing in popularity in recent years, yet the more people I speak to, the more apparent it becomes that few people really know what it means. The purpose of this page is to give a detailed understanding of what direct mail list brokers do, what they can do to help you, and importantly, where they can be found.
To begin with, we’ll start with direct mail itself. What is it? Direct mail is a method of delivering advertising and promotional material through the post to recipients. It forms a large proportion of companies direct marketing activities, and has done for many years. The most popular types of direct mail used today are CD’s, ‘pre-approved’ credit card applications, catalogues, advertising circulars to name but a few.
In recent years, due to its proliferation, consumers are becoming ‘blind’ to certain types of direct mail. Some experts believe this has been caused by over-exposure to this marketing median, whilst others believe that direct mail is often poorly targeted and as such does not appeal to the recipient. This is where direct mail list brokers can get involved.
Direct mail list brokers store large amounts of consumer data that has been harvested and built up over a number of years. This data can be dissected in a number of different ways to provide access to a targeted segment of people. The better the direct mail list broker, the more data they hold, and the better their systems are at analysing that data and providing some real insight to consumer behaviour. A list of direct mail address is the output from this system.
Direct mail can be a cost effective route to large markets, and due to its ability to target consumers in a wide area, it’s often only larger companies that use direct mail brokers. Smaller companies with a localised target client base would probably be better of employing someone to do a door-to-door drop, as they will already have identified who they plan to target based on geography.
When selecting a direct mail list broker, it’s advisable to approach a number of companies and ask how they differ. It can also be useful if they’ve worked in your sector or at very least a similar sector. ‘Opt out’ policies are now increasingly common, so it’s important that all brokers keep their lists up to date to avoid sending a mail to someone who as recently opted out. This can cause damage to a brand and in severe cases can lead to heavy fines.
As with almost every aspect of life, environmental issues are becoming increasingly important in the world of direct mail. A respectable mailing list broker should be able to advise you on how to execute a campaign and reducing its affect on the environment.
Finding direct mail list brokers is relatively easy through Google or the Yellow pages. If possible, speak to colleagues and business acquaintances to see if they can recommend someone, as this is often the only way to be sure of a quality service.