The "Influencer"

Influencers include individuals who can affect a marketer's sales results and help find prospects within the business market but who typically do not make the decision to buy the product. The influencer, who holds a position of credibility and influence vis-à-vis the product or service, has the ear of the decision maker and can sway the purchase decision toward the marketer's offering.

Using a Database Marketing Service

Database marketing services offer clients a fast and easy way to keep track of subscribers. In addition, they do wonders for your business by providing you with reports about the click-through rates of your newsletters. Most services are relatively inexpensive -- usually a monthly or annual charge -- but at a great ROI, they're well worth the price.

The Influence of Influencers

In the world of database marketing, influencers -- those who influence a marketer's sales results without actually making purchases -- have an impact on a great deal of business. Their presence in the database can be problematic when calculating response rates. To solve the problem, it's best to subtract the influencers from the number of mailers sent before calculating the percent response. Say a marketer mails 1,500 direct mail pieces, including 500 to influencers. If the mailing generates 100 responses, the response rate is actually 100 of 1,000 - not 100 of 1,500.

Clean Your Database

To keep your mailing list clean, efficient and profitable, look into establishing a regular routine of data hygiene through use of database marketing software. This software will provide services that include "scrubbing" telephone records, e-mail and postal addresses by updating them and checking them against the most current records. Regular database maintenance is an important part of any direct marketing campaign.

The Definition of Database Direct Marketing

Database direct marketing involves the strategic planning and execution of activities designed to motivate targeted customers to place orders through the mail, via the telephone, or some other non-store channel. A key component of direct marketing is the development (or acquisition) and manipulation of a computer-generated database of potential/prospective customers.