Direct Marketing Tools: Top 10 At-a-Glance Glossary by Accutips.com

What’s the difference between data hygiene and data consolidation? Are analytics the same thing as appends? This handy table of direct marketing terms and trends will give you easy access to the definitions you need.

1. Analytics: The process of measuring campaign response or examining customer data in order to achieve better direct marketing performance by improving response, reduce costs and minimize risks in future direct marketing programs.

2. Append/Reverse Append: Used to supplement an existing customer file with correct, permission-based email addresses or phone numbers. When a company possesses stand-alone phone or email records for its customers, they may also “reverse” the process and add physical data to those records. Improves business and consumer data, expands customer touch points and increases response rates.

3. Compiled List: Any list created from the compilation of public sources such as phone books, deed information, directories, newspapers and courthouse records. Updated frequently and usually ensures a wide array of prospects.

4. Data Consolidation and Standardization: A type of data hygiene that ensures addresses are standardized to meet the United States Postal Service requirements. The process includes validation and correction of street, city and state, along with many other cost- and time-saving standards. Helps improve mail deliverability, saving time and money by reducing postage and printing expenses for mailers.

5. Data Hygiene: A suite of “file-cleaning” solutions which helps businesses acquire exact and correct addresses and update their files with change of address records. Solutions include National Change of Address, deceased processing, and National Do-Not-Call processing which helps improve mail deliverability. Saving time and money and providing a better opportunity to capture more clients and improve retention of existing customers.

6. Data Integration: The process of consolidating and managing customer information from all available sources including contact details, customer valuation data, and information gathered through direct marketing interactions. Ensures that all relevant departments in the company have constant access to the most current and complete direct marketing data.

7. Managed List: A list compiled from limited sources like subscriptions or memberships. Controlled or managed often requiring pre-approval of campaign elements. Typically not updated frequently.

8. Merge/Purge: A data process that merges two or more lists or files, then purges the file of duplicates. Reduces postage and printing expenses for mailers.

9. Multi-channel Marketing: A program of offering customers more than one way to buy something: via the Web, direct mail and/or in retail stores. These programs could also include the use of partners, sometimes known as channels, who market directly to the customer as consultants, re-packagers, or retailers. Increases customer touch points. Elevates customer loyalty by allowing them to interact how they prefer. Can improve opportunities to collect customer data.

10. Multi-sourced List: A list comprised of many different sources, often meeting the highest quality standards. Some of the most reputable data providers will keep managed b-to-b lists of the major compiled commercial databases and consumer files including the major credit bureau databases. Offers the unique ability to identify and fill gaps found within individual data sources. Provides the most comprehensive coverage possible.