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.