Direct Mailing List Glossary

ACTIVE SUBSCRIBER
Is an individual who is a current subscriber to a particular magazine or any other type of goods and services. Active subscriber mailing lists are an extremely targeted way of reaching customers.

ASSIGNED MAIL DATES
Usually with subscriber mailing lists the list user has to have prior approval for a particular mail date. This is to avoid overlaps in mailings from other users.

BUSINESS MAILING LIST
A list targeted towards businesses based on specific attributes includes sales volume, employee size, industry type, and more.

CATALOG BUYER
One who has actively purchased products from a catalog

CARRIER ROUTE
The address to which a mail carrier delivers the mail. In common usage, carrier routes include city routes, rural routes, highway contract routes, post office box sections, and general delivery units.

CARRIER ROUTE SORTING
This process arranges the mailing list in the order of the postal carrier’s delivery route. The US Post Office gives additional postage discounts for this sorting.

COMPILED MAILING LIST
Any list created from the compilation of public sources such as phone books, deed information, directories, newspapers and courthouse records.

COMPILER
A company that puts together various pieces of information to create a mailing list of individuals that has similar characteristics, such as age, income and buying habits.

CONSUMER MAILING LIST
A list targeted towards individuals based on specific demographics at their residential address. This would include complete name and address.

CO-OP MAILING
A mailing in which multiple offers are included in the same envelope. This can cut costs for all of the mailers.

COUNTS
This is the number of addresses that fit a certain criteria in the target market.

DATA HYGIENE
The process of updated a mailing list, including national change of address, removing deceased records, etc.

DECOY
A unique name inserted into a mailing list to track the usage of the list. Also known as a “Seed Address”.

DEMOGRAPHICS
Information concerning socioeconomic characteristics pertaining to a geographic unit.

DEMOGRAPHIC APPENDING
The process of adding specific demographic characteristics to a customer mailing list to help in creative a new prospect list.

DIRECT MAIL
Is a form of advertising in which advertisers mail printed ads, letters or other solicitations to large groups of consumers and/or businesses. Bulk-mail rates are used to lower the cost of the mailing, and targeted mailing lists are used to maximize potential response.

DIRECT MAIL ASSOCIATION MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE
A service that enables individuals to have their name and address removed from mailing lists, www.the-dma.org

E-MAIL
An electronic format in which you can receive your mailing list information

EMAIL APPENDING
The process of email addresses to a mailing list.

EXPIRE
Individuals who have let their subscription to a publication expire.

ZIP SEQUENCE
All mailing lists are provided numerically by zip code unless otherwise requested.

GALLEY LIST
A method of printing mailing list information line by line. Also called a manuscript

GEOGRAPHY
The defined area in which the mailing list will be targeted. This can be defined by zip code, county, state, SCF, and more.

HOTLINE
The most recent names added to a mailing list, usually defined in 30 day increments

HOUSE LIST
A list compiled of customers who have previously purchased from your own company. This would be your customer base mailing list.

INQUIRY
A list of those who have only inquired about your services, but have not actually purchased. This is great prospect information.

KEY CODE
A code, such as letters, numbers or markings that are added to the mailing label to accurately test response rates and list quality.

LIST BROKER
A specialist who makes all the arrangements for one company to rent the mailing list(s) of another company. You usually receive better pricing from a list broker because the list compilers base pricing on the volume of business.

LIST CLEANING
The process of updating a mailing list by correcting and/or removing a name because it is no longer correct.

LIST EXCHANGE
A bartering system by which companies will trade the use of a mailing list for another list, product or service.

LIST MAINTENANCE
The process of keeping mailing lists up to date.

LIST MANAGER
This person is the agent responsible for the use of the mailing list by others. This person would update and market the list to others.

LIST OWNER
Someone who has compiled a mailing list database of names that have common characteristics.

LIST RENTAL
When a mailer purchases a mailing list of names, the list is for 1 time use unless purchased for additional usages.

LIST SELECTION
One can further define a mailing list by targeting by additional selections such as age, income, homeowner etc.

LIST SOURCE
The media that is used to compile the names on a mailing list.

MAPPING
Creating a visual representation of the geographical market that will be mailed.

MAIL DATE
The date on which a user has the obligation to mail a specific mail piece from list agreed on by the list owner.

MAIL ORDER BUYER
One who orders merchandise or services through the mail.

MAILING LIST
Is a collection of names and addresses used by a business or an individual to promote and product or service to multiple recipients. A mailing list can come in a variety of formats. The most common form is an electronic form in excel, word or text. The term refers to the group of individuals, households, or businesses that are grouped into “the mailing list”, or simply “the list”.

MERGE
Combining two or more mailing lists usually in a predetermined priority sequence.

MERGE-PURGE
Combining two or more lists while simultaneously eliminating duplicate names.

MULTIPLE BUYER
One who has bought two or more times from the same company.

NTH NAME SELECTION
A fractional unit of selection that is repeated in sampling a mailing list.

NET NAME ARRANGEMENT
An agreement between the mailing list owner and the mailing list user in which the list owner agrees to accept adjusted payment less that the total names shipped.

NET-NET NAMES
An agreement between the mailing list owner and the user to pay only for names that survive a given screen.

NEW HOMEOWNERS
People that have recently moved and purchased a new home.

NEW MOVERS
People that have recently moved into a new area. This includes new renters and new home owners.

NIXIE
A mailing piece returned by the Postal Service because of an inaccurate or undeliverable name and address.

OFFER
The product or service that is being sold or promoted through direct mail.

ONE TIME USE OF THE LIST
List rental agreement in which it is understood that the mailer will not use the names on the list more than one time without prior approval of the list owner.

ONLINE COUNT SYSTEM
A web-based solution to help customers create and purchase their own mailing list.

PACKAGE TEST
A test between one mailing piece with another

PHONE APPENDING
The process of adding phone numbers to a mailing list.

PREMIUM
An item offered for free to a buyer as an enticement to purchase or obtain for trial a product or service offered via mail order.

PREMIUM BUYER
One who buys a product or service to get another product or service that is usually free or offered at a special price, or who responds to an offer of a special product premium on the package or label of another product.

PRESSURE SENSITIVE LABEL
A mailing label printed on a peel off sticker that can be affixed to the mail piece.

PROSPECT LISTS
These are single-line listings including the name, address and phone number mainly used for telemarketing or follow-ups to a mailing.

PSYCHOGRAPHICS
Any character or quality attributed to the lifestyle or attitude of a customer.

RESPONSE LIST
A list compiled of people who have responded to an offer either by mail, phone or through other means of mass communication.

RUNNING CHARGE
The price charged by a list owner for addresses run or produced but not used by a specific mailer. When such a charge is made it is usually made to cover extra processing costs.

SAMPLE MAIL PIECE
An example of the mailing piece being mailed by the list user that is submitted to the mailing list owner for prior approval before release of the actual mailing list. This maybe required when marketing towards sensitive demographics such as specific ailments, children, etc.

SATURATION MAILING LIST
A list that targets every deliverable address in a specific geography. This may include or exclude business addresses.

SECTIONAL CENTER FACILITY (SCF)
The first three digits of a zip code area.

STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION CODE (SIC)
A numerical classification of businesses as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce .

SPLIT TEST
Two or more samples from the same mailing list considered to be representative of the entire list.

TELEMARKETING LIST
A marketing list created for calling, which would include complete name, address and phone number.

TEST PANEL
A term used to identify each of the parts in a split test.

TITLE LINE
An additional line of copy added to an address to aid in deliverability.

TRIAL BUYER
One who buys a product for a limited time with the understanding that the item may be returned before paying for the item.

TRIAL SUBSCRIBER
One who subscribes to a publication on the basis that the subscription may be canceled, purchased at a lower rate or there could be a delay in payment option.

UNIQUE NAMES
After a merge purge has been done the names that have appeared on one mailing list only, not a duplicate.

For additional information about any of our list services or to receive a free list count and quote, call a Data Specialist today to help with your direct marketing campaign at 1-877-241-2718. You can also use our right sidebar Chat or click here for our contact page.