The recent Do-Not-Mail bills attempting to thwart businesses and direct mailers from reaching out to potential customers is the main reason why targeted lists are so vital in the fight to cut out what consumers call “junk mail.”
Ten states have recently introduced Do-Not-Mail bills in their state legislatures, indicating that consumers are fed up with junk mail. If these bills are passed, a company wanting to send unrequested mail to consumers would need to buy an updated copy of the state’s Do-Not-Mail list and check it against their own mailing lists – adding unwanted workload to businesses that will curtail productivity in response to government red tape.
This in turn will have a severe negative impact on a state’s economic development as it will be a nightmare to the small business owner, who already is fighting government red tape, payroll taxes, and the like – not to mention trying to run a company in the black while keeping his staff productive and customers happy.
Consumers do not mind receiving mail promoting products and services they need – that is what differentiates direct mail from what consumers consider junk mail. When unsolicited direct mail overpowers targeted direct mail, consumers begin to complain.
Targeted mail lists are key in handling problems such as Do-Not-Mail bills. Bills such as these are only arbitrary solutions that will only become a bigger problem down the road.
Studies show that 70% of the U.S. population prefers direct mail to e-mail or phone calls. But in order for it to be direct mail, the piece must direct its message to people whom it is relevant and their purchasing habits.
The moral of the story is: Don’t stop marketing because the government threatens to cut your lifeline. Keep mailing, but make sure your lists are targeted.
Joy Gendusa is founder and CEO of Clearwater, FL-based mail house PostcardMania.