Are Targeted Mailing Lists Important in Retail?
Promotional postcards. Seasonal catalogues. Brochures featuring your latest collection of apparel, goods, or other items.
These are just some of the direct mail pieces retailers send to consumers.
Most retail businesses view direct mail as a useful tool. After all, consumers keep mailed ads around the house for 17 days on average. Plus, 54% of people say they like getting mail from brands they enjoy.
It’s no wonder the U.S. Postal Service is offering special marketing mail incentive programs in 2024.
Yet retailers can’t just send their materials to everyone. Direct mail marketing needs to be targeted. This means that retail companies should build specialized, segmented lists to engage the right people.
Types of Targeted Direct Mail for Retail Businesses
Once you’ve segmented your mailing lists, you can develop a full range of direct mail pieces.
Retailers tend to share the following materials with their target customers:
- Brochures
- Catalogues (or catalogue request cards)
- Coupons
- Event invitations
- Loyalty program offers
- Personalized letters
- Postcards
- Seasonal promotions
The more you segment your mailing lists, the better off your retail business will be. We’ll discuss what that looks like shortly.
Why Should Retailers Invest in Specialized Mailing Lists?
Let’s talk about why retailers are so drawn to targeted mailing lists.
These are some of the reasons retail businesses value this marketing technique:
- Significant personalization
Unlike generic advertising blasts that go to everyone in a certain zip code, targeted direct mail lets you connect with your ideal customer. By tailoring your messaging to specific demographics—or even interest areas—you can build stronger connections. Higher engagement is simply an added bonus.
- Less competition
Cross-channel advertising is important. We definitely aren’t saying you should skip digital marketing altogether! But people’s mailboxes are a little less crowded than their inboxes nowadays. And by segmenting your mailing lists based on different filters, recipients will be more likely to respond to you.
- Precise targeting
What if you could go beyond age and gender, and target people based on dozens of unique criteria? By truly segmenting your audience, you can factor in consumers’ job titles, purchasing history, and hobbies. This will help you target prospects with more precision—and profit as a result.
Say you own a kitchen supply store. By segmenting your lists down to the last detail, you can share special offers based on many different factors. For example, using your targeted lists, you can mail one catalogue to professional chefs, and another to hobbyist cooks. You can also send promotions to hyper-specific demographics on holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or even Veteran’s Day.
What Do Retailers Value in a Targeted Mailing List Service?
Whether you’re promoting a sale, a new product, or a special offer, you’ll want to work with the right specialized mailing list provider.
This is why current, reliable data is so important. Retail businesses should only invest in services that frequently update their information. The idea here is to avoid sending irrelevant or duplicate materials, and increase engagement at every turn.
You’ll also want to look into the provider’s customization options. As we mentioned, retailers need to personalize their mailing lists based on specific criteria. A reputable targeted direct mail marketing partner will help you leverage the most appropriate filters.
Segmented lists are the key to your business success. With BuyLists, retailers can engage their target audience and send their marketing materials to people who genuinely want them.
Kickstart Your Targeted Direct Mail Marketing Today
Consumers prefer to give their business to retailers they know and trust.
This is why specialized mailing lists are so important. By investing in targeted direct mail marketing, you can engage your ideal customer—and show them just how much you care. With our seamless interface, real-time lead counts, and hundreds of filters, BuyLists.com is the perfect solution for retail businesses.
So order your targeted lists now for only $0.03 per address, and contact us with questions or for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.