Setting Up a Mailing List
When planning your direct mail campaign the key ingredient is you mailing list. At First Impressions, we'll run your list through the necessary USPS NCOA and CASS Certification processes, but close attention should be paid to the quality of the list itself. Are you targeting the right people? Do you have the vital contact information?
The most important ingredients in a mailing list are:
1. Contact Name
2. Business Name
3. Mailing Address
4. City
5. State
6. Zip Code
You can also add fields for titles, prefixes, suffixes, etc. You may also want to add a special message on the address label. For example, "Order by November 30th and Receive Your Widget in Time for the Holidays"!
Mailing lists can be easily created using Microsoft Excel© or any text editing program. The key is to properly separate the individual elements of each address. The most common file format for a mailing list is Microsoft Excel© or a text file. To create a mailing list in Microsoft Excel©, create a separate column for each element you would like to include in your list - contact name, business name, address, etc. You can create additional columns for any other information you may want to include, such as a salutation, title or second address line. It's also helpful, although not necessary, to type in the column name in the first row of each column.
To create a mailing list in a text editing program, simply add an extra character or "delimiter" to separate the different elements in your address. The most common delimiter is a comma, but almost any character can be used. For example, a character that is not commonly used otherwise, such as a pipe, can be effective since its not likely to be included in any of your fields:
JOHN SMITH | 123 MAIN STREET | ANYTOWN | NY | 12345
If you are concerned your fields may contain characters used as a delimiter, you can also add quote marks to make your field more specific:
"JOHN SMITH","123 MAIN STREET","ANYTOWN","NY","12345"
Once you've entered your information, a simple line break (pressing enter) will start the next address.
Feel free to contact us at 845-692-4490 or send us an email if you have any questions or need assistance in setting up your mailing list.
