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If you are a business owner trying to thrive in this down economy, now is the time to reach out to new customers in the most cost-efficient ways possible. Using targeted mailing lists allows you to save on materials and postage by pinpointing potential customers and communicating only with those whom are most likely to buy your product or service.

Here are some examples of certain demographic lists which are available through reputable direct mailing companies, and how they can help you get your name out there in the community.

-- Affluent households: If you are a company that builds sun room additions to houses or that sells decorative hardware such as copper bathtubs and fancy fixtures, it would probably be a waste of money for you to send out mass mailers to all of the households in town.

The simple truth is that people who live in certain zip codes will probably not be in the market for pricey home remodeling jobs, and the mailer would be thrown away. Obtaining a list of households whose income lies within a certain desirable price range would make sense for higher end businesses.

-- Homeowners or renters: If you sell renter's insurance, you will want your mailing list to only contain names of households who are renting. Conversely, if you are a mortgage broker, the only effective direct marketing mailings for you will be those that are sent to people who are seeking to refinance their homes.

-- New move ins: This kind of list is particularly useful for neighborhood professionals such as doctors and dentists, or locally supported businesses such as restaurants. When a new family comes to town, they will want to know all about the kinds of services that are located nearby. Including a coupon of some kind in the mailer provides a further incentive for potential customers to visit your place of business and get to know you.

-- Age and date of birth: Sending information about geriatric home nursing care or an assisted living center is probably not useful to a young family just starting out, but it is likely to bring results if it is sent to the homes of senior citizens.

-- Pet owners: obtaining a list of local pet owners can be extremely useful for pet stores, dog groomers, and grocery stores who want to cater to their customers who spend a lot of money on products for their pets.

Obviously, there are direct mailing lists available that will suit the nature of just about any business. In today's tough economic times, it's more important than ever to spend marketing dollars wisely and seek out the right kinds of potential customers.