Data hygiene has to be performed on a regular basis to maintain a healthy list.
Wayne, NJ (PRWEB) July 11, 2012
The Ballantine Corporation, a New Jersey-based full-service direct mail company, has recently published a new blog post touting the benefits of “data hygiene” in terms of prospect and customer lists. Data hygiene is the process of periodically reviewing marketing lists and performing certain actions that eliminate duplicate entries, correct outdated or incorrect addresses, and improve the overall quality of the list. A “cleaner” list will result in reductions in duplicate mailings, undeliverable mailings, printing costs, and postage.
Ballantine’s blog post describes the benefits of data hygiene and several ways in which a list can be updated and improved, such as using the National Change of Address Database (NCOA) to update contact addresses, eliminating listings for individuals who are now deceased, and using specific databases such as apartment listing databases to ensure that apartment and other sub-unit information is correct.
Other actions can be taken to reduce the number of mailings and the costs associated with printing and postage. Merging multiple mailing lists into a single, master list and purging duplicate entries can eliminate multiple mailings to the same individual or address. Other actions, such as reviewing a database against the Direct Marketing Association’s “do-not-mail” list will reduce the negative effects of sending unwanted mail, as well as reduce printing and postage costs.
The blog post also provides a case study for a Ballantine client that resulted in significant updates to the client’s database and a reduction in undeliverable mailings.
“Data hygiene has to be performed on a regular basis to maintain a healthy list,” says Ryan Cote, Director of Marketing at Ballantine. “The small investment required for data hygiene could result in a large return as companies reduce printing and postage costs for duplicate entries, incorrect addresses, and undeliverable mail pieces.”
To read the blog post in full, and to learn more about Ballantine, visit:
http://www.ballantine.com/crash-course-guide-on-data-hygiene/
About The Ballantine Corporation:
The Ballantine Corporation is a family-owned and operated direct mail company that has been in business for more than 45 years. Their services include printing and mailing, creative services, variable digital printing, personalized URLs and QR codes. Ballantine also provides SEO and social media services through their digital division, Ballantine Digital.