Lists designed to reach consumers simply mirror their insatiable appetite for information and
opportunity. The success a mail marketer enjoys is tied to the ability to recognize and reach
those consumers who are in the market for what you have to sell. The right list is everything!
Lists are commonly available from owners who themselves do a large amount of business with
the consumer public. They can range from top-tier financial service providers like Merrill Lynch,
to mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart. In any case, lists such as theirs will encompass a broad
spectrum of the buying public, so it is important to work with a broker or manager who can
help you select the right list, either in its entirety, or in part. Large lists are often available
as select subsets appealing to, say, high tech aficionados, computer proficient individuals, individual
investors, busy mobile executives, families with children, senior citizens, new
parents, baby boomers, and many more.
Of course, if you do business with the public, those customers who have inquired, purchased,
or re-purchased from your business form the kernel of your best list. These are the consumers
who have a track record of interest in what you offer. Capturing their information and
organizing it by experience is a great first step toward developing a list that you can not only
mine for future sales, but even make available to others.
