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Direct Mail List Hygiene Saves You Money

Direct Mail List Hygiene Saves You Money

In the past, conventional wisdom has shown that a majority of the success generated by a direct mail campaign can be traced back to the quality of the mailing list. The offer or information needs to be sent to consumers who want your product or who seek more information so they can learn how it benefits them when they purchase the product.

Having clean direct mail lists is an important way to improve your overall marketing ROI. Targeted mailing lists improve your response rates because you are mailing to members of the public who have the funds to buy your product. Plus, your costs are lower because the marketing piece is being delivered by the USPS. In order to get the most from your mailing list, let us show you the benefits of direct mail list hygiene such as creating, editing, and maintaining the consumer information and preferences on the list. 

Benefits of Sending a Clean Direct Mail List to Your Printer

Some of the benefits of sending a clean list that is properly prepared and formatted to a printer include higher success rates, reduced production errors, quicker turnaround time when it comes to printing, and overall cost savings. A clean list ensures all of your contacts are valid and have the correct information needed to make sure your message reaches the right audience. A clean list also requires less back and forth with the printer which saves both time and money. An accurate and valid list increases the chances of your message being received and acted upon by consumers.

Correct contact information also reduces production errors and makes it easier for the printer to produce your materials while staying within your budget and on schedule. If you don’t need to check each address or correct mistakes, the entire printing process is faster. In turn, you get your project to your customers in a timely and quick manner.  

A clean direct mail list is essential to getting the best results from your direct mail campaign. Now that we have shared the benefits of a clean direct mail list, see how this improves the quality of your marketing materials. 

Get the Best Outcome With Direct Mail List Hygiene

In order to ensure the best outcome from your campaign, take the necessary preparation steps such as verifying files before sending them to the printer. In addition, make sure the correct data has been stored and this includes ALL of the following fields listed below:

  • First name of the recipient
  • Last name of the recipient
  • Address of the business or residence of the recipient
  • City
  • State
  • Zip Code (minimum of five digits)

Before sending, please be sure to remove any and all columns/fields that are not needed for the mail piece.

Once you are ready to send your file, make sure it is in one of the following formats:

  • CSV
  • Microsoft Excel (97 or newer)

Make sure the information on your targeted mailing lists is up-to-date, as duplicate and incorrect addresses can result in a lower quality printout and a reduced ROI. Consider including a unique ID field to help you easily find any changed records in your database during the update process.

Verifying that these elements are all included improves the quality of your direct mail campaign and helps you enjoy higher returns.

Finalize Your Direct Mail List Before Sending

Once your data and design files are created, finalize your list before sending it to a print partner.

Make sure to include pertinent information such as:

  • The date/timeline to send the direct mail piece
  • The height and width of the mail piece
  • Specify if the piece is full color or black and white (and ask about the price difference)
  • Confirm the size and type of the envelope and whether or not it has a window 
  • Preferred paper stock for the mail piece
  • Postage options such as first class, every door direct mail (EDDM), standard, etc.
  • Attach all of your prepped files or share them through a file sharing service

Direct mail list hygiene saves you time and money. Call today about properly cleaning and preparing your direct mail lists.

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