With all the diverse marketing methods out there today, many companies involved with B2B transactions may err on the side of more high-tech methods than postal direct mail. Business email list options are many and can deliver a positive outcome, but postal mail is still going strong. The secret is to use the most reputable list brokers and to find a mailing list that contains highly targeted business contacts perfect for whatever product or service you offer.

People who understand the marketing funnel analogy know getting as many targeted contacts into the wide mouth at the top leads to more customers or clients flowing out at the bottom. Direct mail remains a viable, and indeed a preferred, method of not only first contact but also every stage of the funnel process.

The Business-to-Business Marketing Funnel Explained

If you focus on consumers directly, the top of the marketing funnel uses emotion to encourage action. While an individual mail room clerk or administrative assistant may be swayed to action by your empathy with a professional problem, the company as a whole operates based on facts and figures.

The first introduction pours company contacts into the mouth of the marketing funnel. Direct mail is an excellent way to engage individuals or groups that did not know your company or organization existed. The goal? Some kind of action. A postcard with a “Call Now” or “Visit Our Website” call to action will lead these prospects into the next tighter level of the funnel.

When you find a mailing list that works, this initial step is actually more like the first three steps combined. You already have a targeted group of professional contacts as long as the list brokers have done their job well. The companies you send your colorful postcard or professional letter to already qualify for your offer.

Find a Mailing List That Works for Automatic Prospects

It all comes down to the right postal mail list or business email list. If you market directly to consumers, demographic information, buying habits, and other factors come into play. In the business to business marketing world, the challenge is finding the person within the company who would best respond to your offer.

Consider these three quick tips to getting the best business mail list that will be most likely to net you plenty of prospects and, ultimately, sales or contracts.

1 – Always use reputable list brokers like Bethesda List Center for direct mailer services. This ensures every name and address on the list will be up-to-date, active, and correct. The mailing list you use must include current information or most of your direct mail marketing efforts and costs will be wasted.

2 – Pick the right list from the start by exploring all the options and determining what type of contacts would most likely respond to your message. Remember, the initial goal of a marketing funnel is to get as many qualified contacts as possible. Some lists will align with your products or services better than others.

3 – Work with your marketing department to figure out the various stages of contact and engagement to move whatever list you consider down the funnel before you begin. What type of company needs which type of ongoing care to close the deal? This can vary widely. If you want your marketing funnel to work efficiently, these are the types of plans that need to be considered before you buy or rent targeted mailing lists.

Direct Mail’s Impact on Every Level of Marketing Funnel Success

A physical mailer attracts attention in business to business marketing. After that initial spark of interest, one can also convert recipients to leads, nurture the growth of a professional relationship, build brand recognition and trust, and turn leads into prospects and then into customers. Different letters or other mailers work best on each layer of the funnel. They can be used alone or in conjunction with phone calls, email contacts, and website visits.

Awareness – If a company is not aware of your products or services, they will never spend money on them. Whether you run a startup just trying to get its name out there for the first time, or want to expand the reach of an existing company, direct mail is an excellent away to create awareness. This step also deals with brand recognition.

The right business email list or postal mail list already contains company contacts specific to whatever industry or niche you operate in. Even if the person who gets the mailer does not take action immediately, your company name will remain on their radar.

Consideration – You sent out a postcard and introduced a new company or professional group to your products and services. Some will respond to the call to action and sign up, visit your website, or pick up the phone and call for more information. The third option in that list funnels them direct to the next step. The other two options require additional contact. A more specific mailer, such as a personalized professional letter, should be the next step in your direct mail marketing campaign.

Conversion – This step usually does not take place through direct mail if you have had other contacts with a representative of a particular company already. The drive toward a sale or contract frequently uses phone calls, text messages, and virtual meetings to seal the deal. Direct mail can still encourage conversion by highlighting a specific call to action that will lead the interested parties to further contact. Direct sales from a postal mailer can happen too.

The marketing funnel analogy has stood the test of time when it comes to courting a new client or customer. In B2B marketing, the steps diverge slightly from the consumer structure, but the focus is mainly the same. Build recognition. Encourage contact and engagement. Forge a professional relationship, make a sale, and build brand loyalty.

Find a mailing list at top-quality list brokers such as Bethesda List Center if you want to expand your company reach and get more customers and clients. In this age of high-tech communications and high-speed decision making, direct mail still remains a viable and highly effective way to attract business prospects into and down through your marketing and sales funnel.