PCC Mailing Lists

Development of a Mailing List

Developing and maintaining a PCC mailing list can be easy when specific guidelines and criteria are followed.  If you just want an address list then you will only need the basic data elements listed below. 

•	Basic Data
o	First Name
o	Last Name
o	Company Name
o	Address Line 1
o	Address Line 2
o	City, State  ZIP+4

Since PCCs want to increase membership and offer the most updated information and seminars to meet members’ needs then additional data elements are needed.  The use of expanded data elements can be used in the following ways:  acknowledgement of sponsorship, better targeted messages, effectiveness of programs offered, development of “experts” in certain fields, identifying business leaders, setting up an outreach program to reach  “lost” members, programs impact on membership, and determining the effectiveness of list rentals and/or purchases.  These are just a few of the ways the following expanded data elements can be used.

•	Expanded data elements 
o	E-mail address 
o	Phone Number 
o	Member (Y/N), Membership Year XXXX, Sponsorship (Amount), Sponsorship Year XXXX  
o	Type of Business (Non-Profit/Service Provider/Health Care/Government/Financial/USPS Employee/Large Mailer/Small – Medium Mailer/General-Unknown) 
o	PCC Board (Current/Past) 
o	Level of Knowledge (Basic/Intermediate/Expert) 
o	Event(s) with date for each event the member attended
o	Source Code of mailing list – used for effectiveness of list rentals and purchases  

Be sure you have a strategy for collecting and maintaining the data.  Questionnaires (either mailed or given at events), surveys (on-line or mailed) or phone calls are just some of the ways to gather this information.  Board members may also know a number of the people or companies on your membership list.  Membership solicitation letters could include surveys to collect data, and annual renewal letters can be used to update information.

Maintenance 

A well maintained mailing list can produce an award winning PCC and allow for the attainment of yearly goals.  Below lists the steps to making maintenance of your list easy.
  
•	Review the PCC list maintenance requirements (PCC Insider February 2009).  
•	Once you have a list, be sure there are two people responsible for maintaining it:  one postal, one industry.  (Industry will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement to have/keep this information.)  
•	Your list should be scrubbed through NCOALink/Suite Link before all mailings, with the matched information updated in the database.  
•	Mailings should include an Ancillary Service Endorsement (such as Address Service Requested) – so any changes can be recorded.
•	If possible, have your mailing address read “Or Current Interested Mailer” on all of your pieces.  (In the case where someone is no longer with the business, at least they will understand what the piece is for.)
•	For consistency, be sure there is one person responsible for inputting all attendance information into the system after each event.
•	On an annual basis (perhaps summer), schedule time to sort the file by Company and standardize/consolidate information (like Type of Business, name and address information) as needed.  
•	Correct or remove records that are no longer accurate.  

Growing Your List

•	Develop your PCC brochure as a sales tool by using the standard PCC brochure that is available on the website.  Personalize it with a 1 – 2 paragraph description of your PCC, how to become a member and most importantly tell businesses/non-profits what is in it for them. Send your PCC brochure to all your local Chambers of Commerce, AMA chapters, Small Business Administration offices, United Ways, local Postmasters and other business membership organizations.  Arrange to get articles on postal issues in their newsletters and a link on their website.  Invest in brochure racks, to have brochures available at retail windows, as well as Mail Acceptance units, BSNs, and other places where business customers interact with the USPS.  Identify specific, targeted groups for seminars.  
•	Work with local service providers to rent or purchase mailing lists
Purchasing a Mailing List
•	Determine the source of the data before purchasing a mailing list. 
•	A scraped list contains contact information compiled from publicly-available sources such as phone books, websites or directories. 
•	An opt-in list includes people who have given their permission for others to email them relevant information. 
•	Opt-in lists require more investigation before purchasing, as the mailing list companies build the lists using very different scenarios. A person opts into a list by checking a box or otherwise indicating a willingness to receive future mailings from third-party companies. Some mailing list companies get subscribers to unknowingly opt-in by hiding language in their Terms of Service, knowing that most people will not read the entire document. These lists may not generate a good response unless the originating site is in a relevant industry.
•	A purchased list should include the data elements you require (see above).
•	Targeted lists generally show the best return on investment. Geographical segmentation is inherent in lists that contain physical mailing addresses. SIC (Standard Industry Code) lists will allow you to identify the industries best positioned to take advantage of mailing services.  Determine the list broker's capability of segmenting email lists geographically as well. The prices for mailing lists range from pennies to a dollar or more per name or record. Scraped lists should cost the least since they contain publicly-available information. Opt-in lists are more expensive, particularly if the source is well-known and reputable. A list of subscribers to the New York Times who have agreed to receive information from third-party companies in your industry, for instance, should cost more than a list from an unknown website. The price also varies depending on the amount of information provided for each name, whether the list is electronic or on paper and how targeted the demographics of the list are. You may also want to consider the benefits of one time use versus unlimited (1 year) use.
•	Ask the mailing list company how often they update and cleanse their lists and the last date that they updated the list being considered for purchase. Outdated lists with bad addresses will cost you money, particularly in lists intended for postal distribution. 
•	Be sure the list has been run through NCOALink/Suite Link in the past 90 days.