When Should I Rent a Different Mailing List?

Key Takeaways

• A direct mail campaign can perform poorly for a multitude of reasons, not just due to the mailing list.
• Before making the decision to rent a different mailing list, evaluate other variables of your mailing campaign to determine if the mailing list is actually contributing to the problem or not.

Introduction

When a direct mail campaign fails, it’s natural to want to know why it underperformed. If a campaign had performed well before, a sudden decline can be especially worrisome. However, identifying the aspect of the campaign that failed isn’t the most straightforward process. There could be several reasons why a campaign might fail, and a campaign manager shouldn’t hastily throw out the mailing list if one campaign has a poor performance. So, when should I rent a different mailing list?

Don’t Assume the Mailing List Is the Problem

If you’re thinking about moving over to rent a different mailing list, with something as complex as a direct mail campaign, there are several factors that go into its performance, or lack thereof. Some of these factors could include the mail piece’s offer, whether the postcard or envelope didn’t catch the consumer’s attention, or if you had recently mailed, and chose to mail again too soon. There are also external factors that could go into a campaign’s poor performance, including the time of year that you mail or the state of the economy in general. So, just because a campaign fails, that doesn’t mean that the first suspect should be the mailing list that you used.

Your Campaign Results Are Consistently Declining

While the mailing list that is being used shouldn’t be the first culprit if a campaign is a failure, what about if campaign results are constantly underperforming? If other variables have been tested and ruled out of a poor campaign, then it might be time to question the mailing list. But again, there could be several different reasons why the list is failing, and it might be because targets outside of the mailing campaign have changed.

Your Target Customer/Audience Has Changed

Your target customer can change as your business, products, or marketing strategy evolve. This isn’t a necessarily negative thing; it just means that your business has evolved to fill a gap in the market. Taking time to redefine who your target audience and customer are can help to determine whether your current mailing list still reaches the people who will most likely respond to your offer.

If you have changed your target audience, your current mailing list might not fit who your ideal customer is. If that is the case, reaching out to a list manager or list broker could help to find a new mailing list that better fits your target customer base.

The Available Mailing List Count Is Too Small

Even if a mailing list has performed well, it might eventually become unsuitable if the mailing list doesn’t contain enough qualified prospects for your mail campaign. Mailing lists are built from finding consumers who all have similar demographics, interests, or lifestyles, so if a highly targeted or niche audience on a mailing list might have a relatively small total universe. If the mailing list that you’ve been using has had most of its consumers within it be contacted already, or the list owner gains or loses access to data which could change the count, you might need to consider moving to another mailing list, or expanding your targeting criteria.

You’re Concerned About Data Quality of Your Current Mailing List

If you have noticed that a mailing list contains duplicate names, you’re receiving more returned mail, or the overall quality of the mailing list has dropped, it might be worth considering asking the list’s owner if they’re maintaining their mailing lists. Another way to tell that the mailing list might be outdated is if the “counts through” date is heavily outdated. The counts through date is when the counts on the mailing list had been pulled. As time passes, data becomes stale and inaccurate. A reputable list owner should have processes in place to ensure that they are performing data hygiene on their lists, and they should be able to give you an answer to your questions about the data.

The Mailing List Doesn’t Offer the Targeting That You Need

A mailing list that you’ve used might be accurate and well performing, but still not offer the targeting options that are needed for a new campaign. If your campaign requires a specific geographic area, consumer or business characteristic, hotline, or other criteria that isn’t offered on your current mailing list, then moving to another mailing list could be a better fit. Before switching lists, ask your list broker or manager whether the audience that you’re looking for can be narrowed using available selects or segments.

You Want to Test Another Mailing List

If you want to test another mailing list, then the new list should be tested against the old list. During your test, keep as many aspects as possible of the campaign the same, i.e. use the same mail piece, creative, offer, and maybe even geographic location in order to eliminate as many variables as possible that could skew the data towards one list. If you run an entirely different campaign for the two mailing lists, it could be almost impossible to tell why one list performed better or worse than the other.

Before Starting to Rent a Different Mailing List, What Should I Compare?

Before you choose to make the jump to one mailing list from another, you should compare the two mailing list’s:

• Target audience
• Available overall count
• Available selects and segments
• The update recency of the data
• Rental price and terms
• Previous campaign performance
• Cost per response and/or acquisition

FAQ

• Q: Does one bad campaign mean that I should rent a different mailing list?
  • A: No, just because a campaign performs poorly doesn’t mean that you should rent a different mailing list. There are so many variables that could go into a campaign’s performance, that only one negative campaign doesn’t mean the mailing list is bad. Learn more about how to use test results to improve your direct mail response here.
• Q: Can I test two mailing lists against each other to see which performs better?
  • A: Yes, you can. You should make sure that, to the best of your ability, the only variable that you’re testing is the two different mailing lists. The offer, creative, and other aspects of your campaign should remain as consistent as possible to ensure that nothing impacts your test and skews the data to favor one mailing list more than another.
• Q: Does a more expensive mailing list automatically mean that it’s better?
  • A: No, a higher rental price doesn’t automatically mean that that mailing list will outperform a mailing list with a cheaper price tag. Mailing lists are priced according to the complexity of the list, the way that the list was built, and other factors. Learn more about how mailing lists are priced here.

Conclusion

While it might be simple to accuse the mailing list of producing poor campaign results, there are several variables and reasons that the campaign could’ve failed. By removing as many variables that could have an impact on the campaign as possible, the campaign manager can then decide what it is that is harming the campaign.

Are you not sure whether your current mailing list is still the right fit for your campaign, and are thinking about starting to rent a different mailing list? Contact Geon today, and we can help to evaluate available mailing lists, obtain counts, review targeting options, and identify alternatives for your next direct mail campaign.

Geon reviews your intended audience and mail piece to identify additional criteria that can help refine your mailing list selection. This helps us select names that more closely align with your offer and campaign goals.

Learn why mailers choose Geon Media.

How Ordering Works

1. Tell us about your campaign. Share your intended audience, quantity, and a sample of your mail piece.
2. Review your options. We help you choose a mailing list and any suitable selects or segments.
3. Confirm your order. Review and approve the final pricing and rental terms.
4. Receive your list. We prepare your selection and deliver you with a spreadsheet containing your mailing list.

Learn more about ordering a mailing list.

New to Direct Mail?

Are you running your first direct mail campaign?

Read Geon’s beginner’s guide for to direct mail here.

Return to Improve Your Next Campaign, or browse Geon’s Learning Center.