Direct Mailing Lists

What are direct mailing lists? A direct mail campaign is a form of advertising or marketing that sends out information on products and services to pre-qualified individuals that have shown a prior interest in a product or service. Mailing list companies compile data on consumers and then sell those lists through list managers or list brokers to those wishing to have their data.

The best mailing list is one that is timely and qualified. You need to have your direct mail pieces (either through traditional mail or email) going to those that are within your target audience. Mailing lists contain names, addresses, phone numbers, and other demographic and economic information. A mailing list is managed by a list owner. They are the ones gathering the information. They exist in the form of banks, retail stores, grocery stores, and others who have access to personal information.

Mail list companies must alert their customers that they have the option to be removed from such lists, called an opt-out. Many disreputable companies bury this information deeply within their websites or literature but it does exist. You can be on thousands of different mailing lists. This is where 'junk mail' and spam originate.

The good thing about mailing lists is that you can receive information on things that you really have an interest in such as refinancing your home, carpet cleaning services, pest control, low interest credit cards, and more.

Mailing lists work a little differently in cyber space than they do in the physical world. On the Internet you can be on a public list, private list, open or closed list, moderated list, discussion list, announce only list, and an automatic response list. You can get on these lists by signing up for a newsletter or other information, by just visiting a Web site, by joining a forum or group, and many other ways.

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