THE DATACARD

When you begin researching lists, you should ask your broker or vendor for its datacards that fall into your targeted categories. Following is a sample of a list datacard. As you can see in Figure 6.3, in addition to selects, the datacard can tell you quite a bit about a list.

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Permission-Based E-Mail Marketing That Works

FIGURE 6.3 Sample Datacard

Sample E-MAIL LIST

11,982 Total List $290/M

Counts Thru 10/99 --- DATE --- 11/01/99 UPDATED

11/11/99 CONFIRMED

* Plus $95/M transmission fee

--- UNIT OF SALE ---

Email list by __________ N/A

An excellent source to target information systems --- GENDER --- (IS) managers looking for a competitive edge in the % N/A

$211 billion U.S. management of information CANNOT SELECT systems marketplace is with an e-mail list from the

publication DATAMATION (last published issue --- MEDIA ---

2/98). 100% INTERNET

Reach IS managers responsible for specifying --- ADDRESSING --- and purchasing computers, peripherals, E-MAIL ONLY

software, and networking/communication systems.

--- SELECTIONS --- Target IS managers looking to add profit and N/C NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES value to their company through technology. N/C ONE NAME PER SITE

N/C JOB TITLE SELECT N/C CANADIAN

Additional Selections: N/C BUS/INDUSTRY TYPE

Acquisition Source @ N/C N/C PROVINCE Buying Authority @ N/C N/C SCF Computer Systems Installed @ N/C N/C STATE

Computer Systems On Site: N/C ZIP

Class of System @ N/C N/C RECENCY Specific System @ N/C

6 / All about Lists

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Database Software @ N/C --- MINIMUM ORDER --- Fortune 1000 @ N/C $5,000

Network Operating Systems/Protocols @ N/C Operating Systems @ N/C

** Business Type: Banking/Finance/Accounting,

Insurance/Real Estate/Legal, Business Services/

Consultant, Communications Carriers, Computer Manufacturer (hardware, software, and peripherals), Computer Network Consultant, System Integrators,

VAR/VAD, Data Processing Services, Construction/

Architecture/Engineering, Agriculture/Forestry/

Fisheries, Aerospace, Mining/Oil/Gas, Transpiration/

Utilities, Education, Government—Federal/Military, State/Local, Manufacturing and Process Industries (other than computers), Medical/Dental/Health Care, Research/Development Laboratory, Travel/

Hospitality/Recreation, Nonprofit/Trade Association, Marketing/ Advertising/Entertainment, and Other Businesses and Services, Wholesale/Retail Distribution (computer and noncomputer products)

** Employee Size at Location/in Organization:

1 – 49 50 – 99 100 – 499 500 – 999 1,000 – 4,999 5,000 – 9,999 10,000 – 19,999 20,000 or More

** Title: Executive Information Systems Management—

Chief Information Officer, Vice President of IS/MIS/

Systems/Service/Networks, Information Systems Management—Communications/Telecommunications, Database, DP Operations/Security/QC, End User Computing, Financial Systems, Information Center, IS/MIS/DP, Networking/Network Computing/LANs, New Media/Interactive Media, Office Systems/

Automation, PCs/Micros, Programming/Applications/

Software Design, Systems Analysis/Systems Programming, Systems and Procedures Planning,

(continued)

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Permission-Based E-Mail Marketing That Works

Systems Integrator, Other IS Management, Corporate Management—Corporate Management with IS Function, Executive Management, Financial Management, Other Corporate Management

*/** Buying Authority: Computers—Intel Network Servers, UNIX Network Servers, Large-Scale Systems/

Mainframes, Midrange/Minicomputers, PCs, Laptops/Notebooks, PDAs, Workstations, Information Technology Services—Consulting/

System Integration/Application Development, Help Desk/Customer Service, Information Technology Maintenance/Outsourcing, Internet Service Provider, Training/Education, Network/Communication Systems—Bridges/Routers/Gateways/Firewalls, Data/Telecommunications, E-mail, Hubs, Intra/

Internet, Local Area Networks, Network Management, Security Systems, Wide Area Networks, Peripherals—

Imaging Hardware/Scanners, Multimedia Hardware/

CD-ROM, Printers, Storage Device/Tape Drives/

Controllers, Hard Drives/Optical, Terminals/Monitors, Uninterruptible Power Systems, Software—

Accounting/Human Resources/Finance, Client/

Server Development Tools, Enterprise Applications Development Tools, Database Management, Decision Support Systems/Data Warehousing, OLTP/

Middleware, Imaging/Document Management, Languages/Compilers, Manufacturing/Distribution, Networking/Communications, OOPS Tools,

PC Applications Software

*/** Computer Systems on Site: Midrange Systems and Servers—ATT GIS/NCR, Apple, AST, Auspex, Compaq, IBM—AS/400, RS/6000, Other, DEC—MICROVAX, VAX/AXP, Other, Bull, Data General, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Intergraph, Netframe, Sequent, Siemens Nixdorf/Pyramid, Stratus, Sun, Tandem, Tricord, Unisys,

Other, Mainframe/Host Systems—ATT GIS/NCR, IBM—ES/9000, 3090, 308X, Other, Amdahl, Bull, Convex, DEC (VAX 9000), Hitachi, Siemens, Tandem, Unisys, Other

The datacard is only the first part of your task, however. In order to make good decisions on which lists to e-mail or test, you need to ask your broker or ven- dor plenty of questions. Those questions should be based on the following basic guidelines for new lists:

• Test lists that have the best potential first. We’ll take a look at how to de- termine this shortly. If one of these top lists works, success is then simply a matter of going deeper and deeper into the list.

• Test a variety of lists from varying vendors. This strategy will allow you to leverage any potentially poor lists against your stronger ones.

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*/** Computer Systems Installed: Mainframe, Minicomputer, PC, Workstation, Other Computer System

*/** Operating Systems: AIX, DOS, Lotus Notes, MVS, Macintosh, OS/2, OS/400, Sun OS/Solaris, UNIX, VAX/VMS, Windows NT Workstation, Windows 3.x, Windows 95

*/** Network Operating Systems/Protocols:

LAN Server/OS2 Warp, LAN Manager, Lantastic, Netware/SNA, TCP/IP, Windows NT, Other

*/** Database Software: CA, Cincom, Computer Associates, Gupta, IBM-DB2, Informix,

Microsoft, Oracle, Software AG, SQL, Sybase, Other

* Multiple response

**Contact a list owner account executive for up-to-the-minute counts

Prepayment check if you are a first-time renter.

Updated daily.

Last Update: 11/01

• Send in test quantities only. Despite what some list vendors might say, you can get a statistically significant read on a test quantity of 5,000 e-mail ad- dresses. In lieu of testing 50,000 or 100,000 of just one list, spread out your money across a variety of lists, as noted above.

• Tests of large universes. Be sure to test a significant quantity of each list (1/10 of 1 percent is a solid quantity to strive for). You could test lists that have a total of 5,000, 10,000, or 15,000 on their file, in which case you could simply test the entire file. For much larger lists, however, your best bet is to test solid portions of those lists.