Of course we all one most obvious direct marketing fact: email marketing is cheaper than postal marketing. Although we also probably recognise that email marketing gets lower response rates than postal.

But behind these simple statements is a second factor: that good, reliable email lists of businesses and individuals are a lot harder to obtain than good postal lists.

The reason for this is twofold. One is that people can change their email addresses at a drop of a hat, and so email lists go out of date fairly rapidly. The other is that postal lists are easier to research.

So what is best: email or direct mail?

The answer is that if you have a quality email list of all your customers and potential customers, and someone in the office with a talent for writing interesting and occasionally quirky adverts and newsletters, then emailing your past customers and your potential customers on a regular basis is a really good idea.

Various research studies have shown that the most common reason given by customers for moving from one supplier to another is that the company in question did not contact the customer. And the most common reason for not choosing a company as a supplier in the first place is, “I didn’t know you were there” or “I didn’t know you did that.”

But, even then, not everyone reads their emails. So occasional postal mailings are also helpful, even when you have a near perfect email list.

However for most of us there is still the issue that the email list that we have of customers and potential customers is not as good as it might be.

There are many different ways of resolving this situation, including telephone research, requesting the customer’s email address when an order is placed, offering a free product or service which can only be obtained via email, and writing exquisitely interesting pieces that are so good that everyone wants to read them… but which are only available via email.

And there is something else that you can do; you can put some of your emails on your blog. If you do this you will be amazed at how many new customers arrive just because they have found your blog via a search engine. You can then invite the readers to receive your regular email bulletin, complete with its offers of discounts etc. All they have to do is email you – and you have their email address.

Of course all this takes a bit of time which is why Hamilton House specialises in researching such lists and creating on line blogs – either as part of our Velocity programme (www.velocity.ac) or as individual projects. If you would like to know more please do call 01536 399 000.

Tony Attwood