E-mail open rates continue to decline because many recipients receive so many emails that they simply press delete without reading your timely and wonderful offer! However, e-mail marketing can still be an effective tool in helping determine the effectiveness of a new offer. Email response results can be quickly analyzed and leveraged to increase your ability to go to market with offers to other e-mail lists or other marketing channels (direct mail, on-page, inserts, broadcast and web marketing).

How to get the most 'bang for your buck'? One of the best ways to insure getting good fresh names is to work with a qualified list broker. Share your story with them and let them know about your business and customer base. The more information they have the better they will be able to suggest appropriate lists. List brokers will often offer up a wide variety of possible lists and you can choose the ones you feel will work best for your campaign and budget. Above all, follow the industry credo: “Test, test, test!” Don’t just send out one campaign – test that campaign to a small segment of your list so you can make critical changes to your copy and offer.

List selection is an ongoing process and with an ever changing market. Names that were highly responsive today may not be tomorrow. But by testing, changing and trying new lists and campaigns, your direct or email marketing can become very successful.

Five Tips for Choosing the Best Postal and Email Lists for Your Campaign

1. Never waver from looking at RFM – Recent purchase history, Frequency, and Monetary value. When did the customer last purchase? How often does your customer buy a competing product? How much is the average order value?

2. Don’t be fooled! A list might “say” it is for a certain targeted buyer, but there may be an invisible person in the mix. For example if you are trying to reach doctors, you’ll find plenty of lists of physicians. But remember that many doctors don’t open their own mail—their nurses or office managers act as invisible gatekeepers. So, you’ll need to either find a way to get the doctor to open your package himself (sending express mail or even overnight service can often bypass the gatekeeper) or target the person who is opening the mail.

3. You get what you pay for. The more recent the responder, the more expensive the name. ‘Hotline’ names are coveted by all, since a recent mail responder is many times more likely to respond to another offer than a dusty old name (even 18 month old names begin to turn stale, so ask how recent the list is that you’re considering renting).

4. Get older and better! When it comes to mail names, older people respond better than younger people. These days over 35 qualifies for “older”. Sad but true.

5. Just as in life timing is everything. Post Christmas holiday January mailings remain popular because they work. Mailing in July isn’t as effective for most products. Know your market and when it’s best to reach the most likely responders.

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