As we all know, lists, targeting, segmentation, modeling, etc. are one of the most important components of a direct marketing program. Through years (OK, decades) of testing, I’ve come to realize that in nearly every client program there is a significant opportunity to improve results through the use of multiple data sources. The roots of this strategy trace back to the nonprofit industry, where organizations regularly rent multiple third-party lists for donation appeals in addition to their house file of past donors. These third-party lists are closely analyzed based on number of donations, average donation amount and total amount of donations. Underperforming lists are quickly eliminated from the campaign and new lists are constantly tested against the best performing list.
To Survey or Not to Survey. Is There Really a Question?
The basic rule in business is that keeping customers is far less expensive than finding and cultivating new ones. While the burden of that isn’t wholly on Sales and Marketing, it is extra important to make sure your marketing communications are as engaging, personal and relevant as possible.
