Posted by Brian Berg Google+
Many mailing list providers proudly state that their consumer mailing list file is ‘updated’ every 30 days, but what exactly does that mean? The truth is, ‘updated’ means different things to different people. Many mailers assume that the list is completely recreated each and every 30 days. They believe that each and every person on the list was found and added to the list within the last 4 weeks. But the majority of the time, if anything is done to the list every 30 days, it’s likely processed via the NCOA. The ‘updated’ list is simply address corrected and nothing else is done.
If you’re troubled by just having the list processed via NCOA ‘update’, you should ask the following questions about the list.
· How often is the list processed via NCOA?
· How often is the list processed via a National Deceased file?
· How often are new records added to the list?
· If it’s a self-reported or response list, how long do those captured records remain on the database?
You might be surprised as to how often the list provider will confidently tell you the list is updated every 30 days but cannot answer the above questions. You might be surprised what they tell you goes into their scheduled updating.
The process of updating should be just that, a process and not just a singular scrub against the NCOA database. Updating your database is critical to the accuracy of the data and responsiveness of your campaign. Most all mailing lists are compiled differently, and therefore, are updated differently. Whether it’s a compiled consumer list, or a subscriber list to a magazine, there’s an unwritten industry standard compilation of a list. Since certain pieces of new information are only made available once a year, there are limitations to updating that information. Also, due to costs associated with certain processes, the revenue associated with renting a list must be greater than those costs or the database will be short lived.
To work with a professional consumer mailing list provider contact a member of the BB Direct team at (866) 501-6273
(866) 501-6273.