Clean Your List so Profits Don’t go Down the Drain.
It’s no secret that direct mail marketing is making a surge back from the “I’m only doing email marketing” days! More specifically, and to answer a big question you may face, direct mail marketing using postcards is far more profitable for small business owners when compared to using letters and envelopes.
According to a report published by the Direct Marketing Association in 2013, around 24% of the consumers responded to offers through postcards compared to only a meager 5% response through envelopes.
The report also reveals that around 52% of consumers read postcards, while only 30% of the consumers read envelopes.
However, before you can even attempt to experience these types of results, you MUST clean your mailing list so it’s accurate and up to date.
You wouldn’t want your valuable message to “fall on deaf ears,” would you?
Here are some easy tips you can do before the New Year so your list is ready for 2016!
Contact Validation Tools and Verification Databases
You have quite a few options when it comes to validating in-house maintained contact lists. Of note are validation tools developed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) like the CASS certification tool (Coding Accuracy Support System). USPS also owns a contact database in the form of the National Change of Address Database (NCOA). This database contains the latest updated addresses of people who have moved to a different location within United States.
The CASS Certification Tool
The CASS certification tool is of great help with respect to checking the accuracy of contact addresses in a contact list. Before actually giving it to the mailing service provider, you can verify whether the different portions of the address are in the correct format by making use of USPS CASS certification tool.
This tool checks whether the address is actually valid and deliverable. This ensures the correct delivery of postcards to the intended and verified address and saves a lot of wasted money!
CASS also performs the validation by comparing addresses with the standard format and points out those addresses that are not in correct format. When detected, it can correct improper formatted addresses. This tool also identifies duplicate contact address records and merges them into a single record.
The National Change of Address Database (NCOA)
The USPS continuously updates contact address information whenever contacts move to a different region within the country, and this is updated in the NCOA. Access to this database is only available through licensed direct mail vendors who have the necessary licensing from the USPS to perform checks against the NCOA database.
While our mailing process already included a CASS certification process when your postcards are mailed, it is always beneficial to clean your list prior to ordering to ensure the best response while avoiding wasted marketing dollars.
Need help with your list? We can help.
Simply contact us at 877-222-6010 or at okiam@prospectsplus.com and we’ll get your list cleaned up ASAP!