The Truth About Mailing List Advertising

Do you like lists or not? I think I am. It was not something I've been explicitly to promote or anything. I can think back to some pretty solid on the lists that I made with friends in prison, as "13 Ways to Squash Gomash Pete." So far, it's not unlike me to call a friend and first of all a list of bullets "important" matters to be discussed and the order I prefer that they were taken. I have the same thing with the emails. And scribble my name on mailing lists for 7th St. Entry CalSurf and almost changed my life in grade 8.

But they were the type of mailing list advertising that would require auto action initiated by the consumer. Mailing lists, especially online, and my participation in events have multiplied like rats my sister used to keep in our yard. When I find that caring for a company to offer me a choice of opt-out in the fine print, I know that something went wrong. But what is the root of the current advertising mailing list problematic nature?

Specialized Mailing Lists Make All the Difference

If there is one thing I can't say enough it is that the most important part of your mailing campaign is your mailing list. It is vital that you put the right amount of energy into learning about lists – who to mail to – so that your mailing efforts aren't wasted. There are a few different ways that you can get an adequately targeted list.

As always the first step is to determine who your target market will be. Should you market to consumers or businesses? For this example consider that your product is a set of home woodworking tools. This should be marketed to consumers because it is not an industrial grade product. Good, now we have narrowed it down to only 291,324,219 people in the US. As a minimum, your mailing campaign should send to the same names three times. So all you have to do is send out 873,972,657 postcards at $0.185 per piece & you get the point. We need to narrow it down some more.

So how do you accomplish the narrowing of your list? Many factors can be considered, including age, gender, zip code, annual salary, profession and number of children are some of the more common qualifiers. It may take a while to figure out what combination works for your specific product. Don't worry about political correctness when considering whom you should mail to. It is perfectly acceptable to test certain lists that may be considered "stereotypical". Many times these lists will work well. But you never know until you test them.

6 Eye Grabbing Subject Lines

Your subject lines plays a crucial role in any email campaign ads whether you're using safelists, autoresponders, ezine solo ads or any opt-in list where email is involved. Your subject line will make or break your return on your investment so make sure you get their attention first.

Here are six headlines that have worked for me in the past which I'm sure will work for you too. The technology will always change but peoples desire to succeed and curiousity will not.

1. Promote Your URL Here - Free!

For whatever reasons, I've had so much success using this subject line when promoting free classified sites, safelists, and those viral ad boards.

2. Hi, My name is Paul

This works simply because it raises prospects curiosity. I'm always a sucker for this subject line. Who's this Paul anyway? I've had succeess with this using ezine solo ads.

3. I need your help, please?

There's something about being a human, always wanting to help another human being, It's hard to explain, it just works.

4. Bob, I haven't received your shipping address yet.