Even though I’ve read that surveys conducted this year have shown more than 70% of marketers will shift a large part of their spend to online marketing other surveys have shown that there is no drop in the use of direct mail marketing as a b2b lead generation tactic. Direct mail still has its advantages and can still deliver the desired response rates to b2b marketers. When it succeeds its normally attributed to the content, the layout, the message or a crafty response mechanism. When it fails the fingers tend to point towards the same areas. There is however one other factor which can directly influence the success or failure of a direct mail marketing campaign. The direct marketing list.
Even the most ingenious copy or content for a direct marketing list can yield no results if its directed towards a poor list of recipients. Role based contact lists offer a better foundation for direct mail campaigns. For starters, you know your mailer is directed towards someone within the right role or capacity to act on it. Contact details like names and job titles can be verified again ensuring that you address the prospect right. Most importantly locations and postal addresses can be confirmed so that your mail gets to the right place and the right person. We have seen role based contact lists churn out much better results on campaigns like this and it makes a lot of sense especially if your printed material is expensive and you don’t want it to end up at the wrong location or sitting among unclaimed mail.
If you already have an internal list or purchased list of contacts and you’re still unsure about the quality of the list run it through a list verification process especially to confirm location and address of your prospect which is one of the most critical factors to more opens and reads. In the end you need to know that you have done everything within your capacity to make sure the mail reaches the right person. The rest may not be within direct control but rest assured, you’ve done your bit!