Anyone
involved in direct mail or telephone marketing campaigns will know
that one of the biggest challenges is finding a good, up to date list
or mailing list software.
So where do you look to find a marketing list?
Until
now, the main sources of lists to market to have been:
- Build your own list
- Use directories
- Buy a list from a list broker
- Mail someone else’s list
Each
of these has pros and cons which I would like to explore with you now
and show you a great, new solution. For example, building your own
list is a great idea but takes time to collect the data from maybe a
website capture page. If you need a list right now, this may not be a
viable option for you.
Using
directories is certainly a low cost option but can be very time
consuming typing in data to your database. Add to that the fact that
names and addresses go out of date quickly and this will probably not
be the best solution for you either. Consider that each out of date
name that you mail is costing you money twice. You see, you have not
only lost the business opportunity but also wasted the packing and
postage costs mailing to an address that is no longer valid. I once
obtained a list from a directory. We mailed it with postcards and
over 30% came back as return
to sender!
Buying
a mailing list from a list broker will normally give you one of the
best quality lists but the downside is the high cost. Typically you
would need to buy at least 1000 names and if you don’t get your
targeting just right, that could end up being an expensive mistake.
Depending on who and what you are mailing your typical response rate
could be around 1% - 3% or if you want a better response you could
call the list too.
The
last option is to use someone else’s list that is aimed at the
same target market as you, but with a non competing product or
service. This is a great idea but the list owner will normally want
to mail your list in return. If you don’t have a good list, that
option may be ruled out. So what’s the best solution?
I
was so frustrated by the choices available that we have just
launched new a list
building software
product called Instant List Builder. Essentially this software
searches the internet for the information you want in your list. It
collects all the data, including ‘phones numbers, web addresses and
even breaks the address down into different fields such as
town/suburb and post or Zip code. As it uses the internet, the data
is normally fresh and up to date and it can give you lists for
anywhere in the world.
Now
with this revolutionary list
building software,
we can create as many lists as we want on demand and with the click
of a mouse, export them to our favourite spreadsheet, database or CRM
package. This is the solution that marketers around the world have
been waiting for. No more expensive list brokers, directories or
other problems to put up with. The good news is that I am making it
available to other businesses to use too.
If
you think Instant
List Builder might
be useful to you, simply click on the following link. I have uploaded
a 2 minute video of it in use and there is also full details
http://profitmechanics.net/instant-list-builder-2/.
About
the author
Keith
Banfield is an
international professional speaker who specialises in marketing and
making more profit from your business. He is co founder of ProfitMechanics and runs a media company in Australia. Through his talks,
radio broadcasts and products, he has helped hundreds of thousands of
people to step out of their comfort zones and achieve more…
