Targeted Mailing Lists

A targeted mailing list generally belongs in one of three main categories:

Compiled mailing list

This is a list of individuals and demographics compiled from proprietary and publicly-available sources, such as telephone listings, voter registrations, self-reported surveys, etc. This type of targeted mailing list usually offers a broad geography and higher volume than other types of mailing lists. A compiled mailing list often is subdivided into categories to make segmenting prospects easier. Lists such as new parents, new movers and homeowners allow a small business to focus on consumers who might meet its target criteria cost-efficiently. This type of mailing list can be particularly useful when a marketer is trying to reach a well-defined segment. For example, a manufacturer of children's educational toys probably will find the use of a new parents list more cost-effective than a general compiled list.

House mailing list

This refers to the in-house proprietary customer or subscriber lists of a company or publication. If managed correctly, an in-house mailing list can become increasingly useful.

Response mailing list

This contains names of individuals who all have responded to a particular offer. These could be buyers, inquirers, subscribers, sweepstakes entrants or members of a club (i.e., video club, book club).

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