Marketing Information

Renting Your Mailing Lists to Others


RESOLVING THE "PROPRIETARY" DILEMMA... SHOULD YOU RENT YOUR OWN MAILING LIST TO OTHER BUSINESSES ?

Mail order dealers are always looking for more people to send their offers to. You'll find this out in your own business. Besides sending your offers out to people who answer your ad, you can expand your business by doing mass mailings to lists of people who have responded to offers similar to yours. You can make extra profits by renting your customer list to other dealers.

Take note of the term "renting." Too many people use the terms "buy" and "sell" when talking about mailing lists. Mailing lists are rented, not bought and sold. When you rent a mailing list, it is for onetime use. Any customers who order from you can, of course, be added to your permanent customer list. But you shouldn't send out more than once to a rented list. This is unethical, as it robs the owner of the mailing list of revenues. How would you like it if someone paid you once for the mailing list YOU were renting out, then used it three or four times? Each time he used it would be a rental fee you DON'T get. So, mailing lists are not bought and sold. They are rented.

How should you go about setting up your customer list so you can gain rental income? If you don't have a computer, the best way to go about it is by purchasing some photocopier labels. These can be found at any office supply store. Type your names and addresses once on labels. This is your master set. Then, when you get an order for your list, photocopy your master list onto new labels.

The best customers to send an offer to are ones who have bought in the past thirty days. A list of names and addresses that are less than thirty days old can be rented for a higher rate than older names. I wouldn't bother renting names that are more than ninety days old, unless you specifically say they are that old in your ads. Most smart dealers won't rent them, though, so it may be a waste of your time. Also, a list of people who have just inquired about offers, but not ordered, will not rent for too much.

A good idea is to have a friend whose name and address you can add to your list. Then, have your friend pass on to you anything he or she receives from those who rent your list. That way, you can tell if someone is using your list more than once without paying. This is called "seeding" the list. Also, you will get offers you have never seen before, that you may want to respond to.

How much should you rent your list for? Well, it all depends. Read the ad sheets and tabloids you get in the mail and see what others are charging. Use this as a guideline.

Despite what other writers may say, don't count on making $100,000 per year renting lists. Some people do, but they are the ones who do ONLY that, who have large, multiple computer setups, and spend thousands in advertising. Let THEM do that. While you may make a much smaller amount renting your list, it's still money you didn't have before.

In your ads, be sure to include how old your list is, how many names, and where they came from. For example: "125 Fresh, Active Mail Order Buyer's Names from my Order list, all less than 30 days old. $2.00 plus 2 first class stamps. Order today! (your name and address)."

This ad can be used as a classified ad or a typeset one-inch ad. Labels usually come 33 to a page (3 columns of 11), so you can fill this order with four sheets. Your cost should be less than 50 cents, so you make $1.50 per order, plus your postage expense is nothing.

Enclose your best offers with your list, up to the maximum weight for the amount of postage you requested, and you will make more money with the orders you receive. You will get a lot of dealers who will pay for your names, if they are priced right. Like I said, you won't get rich, but it's more money, and you'll get some orders for your other offers, too. Add the names of those who rent your list to the list of names you rent. After all, they're your customers too.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Note to editors:
To show my appreciation to the editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in.

This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet as long as the resource

box remains intact.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
DeAnna is the publisher of the ezine, Prospecting and Presents.
Subscribers get one free ad per week.
Subscribe today by visiting http://www.pnewsletter.com
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


MORE RESOURCES:

Subaru's Secret: Clever Marketing
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 9 hours ago
As Marketing Daily points out, it's a "mid-market brand with a limited vehicle portfolio and marketing clout. Considering its budget, which is less than ...


Entropic Communications Adds Senior Vice President of Marketing ...
Reuters - 15 hours ago
In his new role at Entropic, Vinay will lead all facets of Entropic's marketing function including product management, product definition, ...
Entropic Communications names Vinay Gokhale SVP of marketing and ... RTT News
all 7 news articles


Wellstar/TMI Imaging System Begins Marketing to Long-Term Care ...
International Business Times, NY - 1 hour ago
TMI's marketing plan includes a program where LTC facilities canlease the equipment necessary to perform skin assessments and store thenecessary data. ...


Leading Online Marketer of Education Technology Products Journey ...
Reuters - 15 hours ago
Move Provides Improved Services andBetter Pricing for Schools, Educators and Students DALLAS--(Business Wire)-- Journey Education Marketing, Inc. (JEM), ...


Intera Group, Inc. to Showcase In-Store Marketing and Analytics ...
Reuters - 15 hours ago
Intera is working with retailers, global brands, and their agencies to maximize the return on their marketing dollars, and partnering with analytics ...


KDPaine & Partners Expands, Adds Research, Sales and Marketing Staff
International Business Times, NY - 11 hours ago
In September, Angela Olesen was named Vice President of Sales & Marketing.Ms. Olesen has over 15 years of experience building and executingprofitable sales ...


Local media firm launches new marketing product for retailers
Charleston Regional Business, SC - 11 hours ago
Mount Pleasant-based digital media firm American Media Services Interactive has launched a new product that helps retailers customize marketing ...
American Media Services Interactive Debuts StoreCastingTM ... Reuters
all 18 news articles


Online Card Marketing Loses Favor
Bank Technology News, NY - 12 hours ago
Some issuers, including Citi, blamed the "difficult market environment" and indicated that the pullback from online affiliate marketing was temporary. ...


Reveille Pacts With General Mills For Cause Marketing Deal
Broadcasting & Cable, NY - 7 hours ago
... company behind NBC’s weight loss reality show The Biggest Loser, has signed a major cause marketing deal with packaged goods giant General Mills. ...


Marketing News Roundup, January 5
Marketing Pilgrim, NC - 55 minutes ago
It’s official: the first roundup of marketing news of the 2009—and it’s heavy on the Google. Google shuttered its Second-Life–wannabe Lively six weeks ago. ...

Marketing - Google News

home | site map
© 2006