Direct mail advertising is a tried and true marketing method that continues to be effective today. However, to ensure that your direct mail campaigns are successful, it is essential to have clean mailing lists and correct formatting for direct mail processing and proper IMB barcode generation. In this article, Postal Wizards will discuss the importance of these two factors.
Clean Mailing Lists for Direct Mail Advertising
One of the most critical factors in the success of a direct mail campaign is having a clean mailing list. A clean mailing list is a list of addresses verified to be current, accurate, and valid. This verification means that the mailing addresses on the list are correct and the people at those addresses are still at the business or household.
There are a few things to remember when cleaning your mailing list:
1. Remove any duplicates. Duplicate addresses can result in wasted resources and money. Sending multiple mailing pieces to the same person is unprofessional and damages your customer or prospect response.
2. Remove any addresses that are no longer valid. These addresses include people who have moved or businesses that have closed. Statistically, 25% of addresses for people and companies change every year. This process will be the most challenging part of maintaining your list.
3. Remove any addresses of recipients who requested removal from your mailing list. It is essential to keep these addresses off your mailing list.
4. Ensure you have all the various address block components in your mailing list. These components, or what is called Data Fields, are as follows; Full Name (or separated for special uses as Prefix, First Name, Last Name, and Suffix), Title, Company (for businesses), Street Address, Apt/Suite/Floor, Building (for plaza’s or industrial park), City, St, Zip Code. A mailing provider with proper data processing software will append any other required information for mailing.
Having a clean mailing list can improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your direct mail advertising campaigns. You will also save time and resources by only sending mail to one address per recipient and a viable address.
Correct Data Formatting
In addition to having a clean mailing list, it is also vital to have correct formatting for direct mail processing. The proper design includes fonts, colors, and layout to ensure the address is clear and readable.
Fonts and colors should be chosen carefully to ensure clarity and are easy to read. A clean and simple design is often more effective than a cluttered or busy design. Additionally, proper formatting can help ensure that automated sorting machines do not reject your mail piece.
The address block should be formatted correctly with the recipient’s name on top, followed by the title, company, address information, city, state, and zip code. Bulk mailing projects using IMB barcode speed up the time in the mail stream and save money on postage. This formatting ensures that your mail piece is delivered to the correct address and not returned to you. Regarding Direct Mail Advertising, only first-class mail is returned to the sender unless ancillary services are requested on the mailing piece.
As you can see, having a clean mailing list and correct data formatting for direct mail processing is crucial to the success of your direct mail campaigns. By taking the time to clean your mailing list and ensure that your mail piece is formatted correctly, you can improve the accuracy and effectiveness of your campaigns, save time and resources, and improve your relationship with your customers while growing your business.
If you have further questions about how you should format your mailing list, call Postal Wizards at 631-892-4185 or email at wendy.postalwizards@gmail.com or Contact us here.