Remember the 4 W’s When Using B2B Mailing Lists

If you are marketing your product or service through the mail to other businesses, then a b2b mailing list will be a key ingredient to help you get the most out of your campaign.   But how do you make sure the b2b mailing lists you use will give your business the best possible results? When in doubt, consider the 4 W’s: Who do you need to target? If you are a business that sells promotional items, you’ll need to think about the type of businesses that will be most receptive to your offer.  Do certain industries tend to buy promotional items more than others?  Or does the size of the business matter?  For instance, employee size and annual sales could play an important role when it comes to targeting the most qualified audience.  Another important “who” factor is the key contact name – do you need this piece of information included on your b2b mailing list? Make sure to specify this to your list provider if that is the case. *If you are using the ListGIANT online portal, there are dozens of selections available at your fingertips that can help you narrow down your “who” in a matter of moments! What is the goal of your campaign? Are you looking to spread awareness about a brand new product or add-on service?  Or are you advertising a promotion to new customers?  The goal of your campaign will directly affect which business to business mailing lists you decide to use.  For instance, you wouldn’t want to use your current list of customers to advertise a first-time buyer discount.  Not only could this insult your customers and make your business look bad, but you will be throwing away money on postage and printing by hitting up an unqualified audience. *Your ‘what’ determines your ‘who’ Where do you need to market your product or service? This ‘W’ is pretty simple, but often gets overlooked until the very last minute...hence the underlined text:  Where are you marketing your product or service? This information is absolutely crucial!  If you have a restaurant and want to mail out your catering menu, you probably need to go after businesses near your location versus sending them out to businesses across the country. Determine the ‘where’ before you build or purchase a targeted b2b mailing list. *Luckily, if you don’t specify your geography on the ListGIANT online portal, you won’t get too far.  The system will make you select this information before it can generate a count. When should you get your b2b mailing list? Your ‘when’ will most likely depend on your ‘what’.  If your mailing campaign isn’t scheduled for another month and you need to buy a new mailing list, then you’ll probably want to wait a bit before you order it.  In case you are wondering...”why?”  -  well, like the food we eat, data has a shelf life - and it’s best to get your hands on the freshest batch possible before you conduct a campaign. If you are downloading your lists on ListGIANT online portal, then you can control the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘when’ of each and every campaign. Don’t have a ListGIANT account? Talk to a list specialist today about accessing your b2b mailing lists in real time!