There have been several debates as to which type of marketing lists are best to use to get a direct response.
The two most common lists referred to are Direct Mail Lists and Email Lists.
The point of doing a direct response marketing campaign is to get a direct response from the consumer. It’s not rocket science.
The typical goal of a direct response marketing campaign is lead generation… Turning the respondent into a lead is the primary goal, with the end goal of turning the respondent into a sale.
Which is better, a Direct Mail List or Email List?
That’s like asking, “Is pizza or wings better?”
The answer… It depends on the quality of the list.
There are hundreds of factors to take into consideration that go into how good a list might or might not be.
We recently covered the types of email lists and concluded that self generated email lists are typically the best.
The great thing about self generated email lists is that you have a database of people who know you and expect to receive information from you.
The same is true for direct mail if you have a database of clients you’ve done business with or who have contacted you in regards to doing business.
What if you don’t already have an active database?
If you don’t already have an active database of email or mailing lists, you have a decision to make.
Email marketing is A LOT less expensive than direct mail marketing… But, the response is typically not as good as direct mail marketing.
Direct mail marketing is A LOT more expensive than email marketing, but the response rate is typically MUCH higher.
The reason direct mail response is typically much higher is based on 3 factors.
- Targeted Demographics – If you know who your ideal customer is, your direct mail piece will land in their mailbox.
- Variety – A mail piece can be anything from a 3×5 postcard to a 8×11 brochure to a greeting card.
- It’s Real – People may be on the look out for junk mail, but there’s not a separate box or any 3rd party there to keep the piece from reaching the recipient. It has to go in someone’s hand and the person will look at it.
What it all boils down to.
The best marketing lists for direct response are the lists that get responded to. It depends on your goals and who your market is.
If your market is 65+ year old people with diabetes, email isn’t the way to go.
On the other hand, if your target market is early 20s men who like video games, email marketing could prove to be very effective.
The most important aspect of any type of marketing is to know your target market. If you don’t know who you are supposed to sell to, how are you supposed to sell?
