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Use address verification to test mailing list segmentations

Direct mail is cost-effective and, with address verification, incredibly useful for creating personal and relevant experiences for intended recipients. The more personal the message, the more a customer will be prompted to further research or even buy a company's product or service. Marketing is all about serving the client in the hopes of deepening a relationship. List segmentation is a great way to make sure as many people are getting relevant material as possible. Direct mail is so inexpensive that companies can test it out in various ways and find the so-called sweet spot for many leads or customers on their mailing lists.

Direct marketing methods
Direct marketing experts consistently tout segmenting and testing as two of the most important parts of the direct mail preparation process. Perfecting a mail campaign for the highest return on investment is easy with direct mail, because it lands right in the hands of consumers and response rates are easily measured once they come flooding in. But response rates depend on how well-crafted the piece of mail is and how it affects its intended recipient. Simple aspects of mail affect people differently, and proper segmentation testing can help pinpoint exactly what those factors are.

How to begin segmenting
There are only a few parts of a campaign that make up a quality experience for a client. Chief Marketers lists them as :

• Mailing lists and customer information
• Promotional material and message
• Text and design
• Scheduling

These aspects are all equally essential to the success of the campaign. Plus, all of these factors can become a variable in segmenting tests and be altered to be suit customers' needs. Focusing on different aspects of the customer information can highlight different areas of interaction with a brand. Try grouping people based on mutual preferences or any other aspect of their information. Of course, make sure to use address validation software to make sure that inaccurate information isn't acting against testing efforts and causing poor delivery rates.

Chief Marketer also says that really strong direct mail is produced by truly understanding segments and tapping into some creativity to make each segment experience unique and compelling. Address verification software can make sure that all contact information is sound and accurate, and then marketers can move on to piecing together the perfect direct mail campaign. Remember that mail is driven by the message it offers for readers and how it impacts a person on a deeper level. Try different tactics, and it will soon become clear which one elicits the most response out of recipients.