NextMark

How Banks, Marketers Aid Scams... and how they prevent it

Today's Wall Street Journal includes a story "How Banks, Marketers Aid Scams" that tells how common business practices may help scammers. Although the story mentions some of the controls in the mailing list business, it fails to mention most of them.

The common public perception of mailing lists is that personal information is being freely traded without any controls. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, you'd be suprised how many controls are in place to prevent inappropriate use of mailing lists. Here are a few:

1. Mailing lists have well-established opt-out or opt-in policies to give individuals control of their inclusion on a list
2. Lists are typically "rented" or "exchanged" for 1-time use (versus purchased for unlimited use) - this prevents overuse
3. List rentals require list owner approval as part of a formal clearance process - this prevents mis-use
4. Getting approval requires samples of your mail piece or telemarketing script - this prevents inappropriate use of the list
5. Professional List Brokers and List Managers typically act as intermediaries on transactions and will stop fraud in its tracks to protect their clients and their livelihood. Many maintain black lists of unethical mailers to aid in this process.
6. List rentals require a formal list rental agreement (LRA) that restricts use of the mailing list to the purpose set forth. This contract prevents misunderstandings and adds formal accountability to the process.
7. List rentals are "anonymous" - the buyer never takes possession of the list. Instead, a trusted 3rd party service bureau handles the data - this prevents stealing of mailing lists
8. Lists are seeded to ensure that the use of the mailing list complies with the agreement. Mailboxes are set up to receive the mailings/emails/calls and these are tracked - this prevents mis-use.
9. Members of the Direct Marketing Association abide by a Privacy Promise and Code of Ethics.

NextMark's technology enables these controls and more that give consumers better protection. At the same time, NextMark enables organizations to reach their market directly with highly relevant communications (by weeding out people who consider their communication "junk mail" or "spam").

Of course, list owners aren't required to use NextMark, join the Direct Marketing Association, or go through the list broker/list manager channel to sell their list. But the ethical list owners, such as The Wall Street Journal itself, and their list managers will follow this protocol to prevent mis-use of their data and to protect consumers.

More attention needs to be paid to unscrupulous list owners and marketers who don't follow the rules.

Run Your Vanity URL Check Across 122 Social Networks

Did you know that anyone with an e-mail address and access to the Internet can secure your brand's name using a free social network service?

Are you too late?

Someone from Singapore registered as 'nextmark' YouTube and StumbleUpon, but it's not me - I've never even been to Singapore! If a country as strict as Singapore has these 'squatters', then think about the trend that could easily take off.

I learned quickly that I'd better take ownership of our brand name on the social networks and get those user IDs and vanity URLs secured. The only problem was that there are hundreds of online networks and I only knew about the obvious ones, like LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Delicious and Digg. Fortunately, I found out about a great tool while attending the VT/NH Direct Marketing Group Conference earlier this month. It's called namechk.

This tool will enable you to check the status of your company name (user name or vanity URL) on 122 social networking and bookmarking sites. It only takes a minute, and you'll be able to see whether or not your name is available for each and every one of the servcies listed.

Here's a snapshot of the namechk grid using LinkedIn as the example below. Click here to run your own name check. This is a valuable service.

The provider of this service also has a feature where you may request additional services to be added to the list. For example, you may want to request the addition of Plaxo or Vimeo since I know many of our blog readers use those tools for business networking and video publishing. Feel free to share your thoughts on this tool.

Have You Seen Your Twitter Report Card?

If you have a Twitter account, then you'd better take a minute to check your grade. You might be surprised by what you find. Here's a snapshot of the NextMark report card:

 

TWITTER.grader.com uses a proprietary algorithm to score and rank Twitter accounts on six weighted factors listed below:

1. Number of followers:  a non-discriminating count of how many followers you have (higher is better).
2. Ranking of followers:  the grades of those who follow you (higher is better).
3. Number of Updates:  within reason (more is better). Don't be a spammer!
4. Recency of Updates:  if your last tweet is recent, then you're doing good here.
5. Follower/Following Ratio:  this factor is more important in the early stages (higher is better). This becomes less important as your followers and engagement levels increase over time.
6. Engagement Level:  references and retweets from other users, combined with the ranking of those users.

NextMark ranks list managers in a similar fashion by using an algorithm to score and grade data card quality on thirteen attributes. Fortunately, the basics of these algorithms are revealed to help list managers and tweeters succeed. However, if you want to see the algorithm for Google search engine optimization (SEO) then good luck.

Click here to get your Twitter report card, and let us know your score (comment section below). Here's one final tip - follow Barack Obama on Twitter -- he might just follow you back and boost your Twitter grade!

NextMark unveils "life changing" technology at DM Days NY 2009

NextMark this week unveiled the much anticipated NextMark Select service at the DMA's DM Days 2009 conference in New York City. Nora Brophy from Cross Country Computer and NextMark's Chris DeMartine (shown above) co-presented to clients including Belardi/Ostroy, Aggressive List Management, IOMA, Estee Marketing Group, and RMI Direct Marketing. Those attending the demonstration were quite enthusiastic, with one list manager describing the new service as "life changing."

NextMark Select bridges the gap between data cards and data. This two-way connection automates the tedious administration of data cards and paves the way for new analytical applications, such as advanced mailing list profiling, online custom counts, and online ordering.

The "wow" always came at the point of the demonstration when showing how it enhances data cards. Here's a snapshot of a mailing list profile:

For more information, visit the NextMark Select page on NextMark's website.

Protect your brand from the Facebook vanity URL land rush

Facebook is opening a free-for-all registration of vanity URL's starting this Friday night.

What's a vanity URL? Instead of your URL being a cryptic http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1128369056&ref=profile (that's mine) you can get a branded URL that includes your company name like http://www.facebook.com/nextmark or personal name like http://www.facebook.com/joe.pych (note: these links don't work yet).

You know every name squatter in the world will be raring to go at 12:01 a.m. and will be rushing to snatch up valuable names in the hope of extracting a ransom from you and everyone else who cares about their brand.

You can protect your trademarked name now by registering your trademark with Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=username_rights. 

Unfortunately, you can't use this for your own personal name, so be ready to snatch up yours when the time comes!

The billionth iPhone app downloaded

The trend towards mobile computing is staggering, led by Apple. Their AppStore recorded its billionth application download two months ago (April 2009).  Those applications were downloaded to the 40 million Apple iPhone devices currently on the market.

Even more amazing is the fact there are 50,000 applications available through the AppStore... in nine short months! Software developers are clearly on board with this. Sure, there's a bunch of useless apps, like fart apps. But serious developers are creating meaningful applications, too, like this health monitor:

The Palm Pre was also just launched and has received early positive reviews. Another excellent application platform. Then there's Google Android and a whole bunch of other challengers.

Who will "win?" That's anyone's guess.

If you are not already looking at mobile computing, now is the time to start. Otherwise, it's clear who will lose.

Sir, we're not the taco stand

This "The Vendor Client relationship - in real world situations" video gave me a good laugh: It shows the "no budget" "pay you later" abuse some vendors endure. Of course, none of our customers use these tactics. Right?

(Thanks to Jim Gilbert for posting this on his blog)

Saving Direct Mail -- One Video at a Time

It's a fact. The mailing lists you choose will determine the success of your marketing campaign. There are more than 60,000 active postal lists, email lists, and insert media programs on the market today. NextMark is helping you find them, one video at a time.

NextMark technology makes it easier to find better lists, and get marketing services providers connected online.

Is Direct Mail Doomed?

MediaPost just published a story entitled "Direct Mail Doomed, Long Live Email" which covers research by Borrell Associates entitled "Direct Mail Falls, E-mail Soars (May '09)". As you might guess from the title, the story spells the demise of direct mail:

After making quick work of print newspapers, and the Yellow Pages industry, "The kudzu-like creep of the Internet is about to claim its third analog victim," warns a new report from research firm Borrell Associates. The victim? "The largest and least-read of all print media: Direct mail."

"Direct mail has begun spiraling into what we believe is a precipitous decline from which it will never fully recover," Borrell predicts. More specifically, it is projecting a 39% decline for direct mail over the next five years, from $49.7 billion in annual ad spending in 2008 to $29.8 billion by the end of 2013.

If Borrell is correct, direct mail will fall from the premiere placeholder for ad revenue to the fourth -- behind the Web, broadcast TV, and newspapers.

Is direct mail really doomed?

The financial situation of the USPS is certainly a recipe for disaster: they seem to be in a "death spiral" where their cost burdens drive up postage which drives down direct mail ROI which reduces revenue and profit which drives postage higher (repeat...). Electronic bill presentment and bill paying is taking a big chunk out of the USPS pocketbook. Credit card mailers have pulled back significantly because of their own problems. The USPS' list of financial problems is long and getting longer every day.

Cross-selling, up-selling, and retention programs (i.e. marketing to current customers) can be very effective through email if done right. This reduces demand for direct mail.

However, prospecting for new customers through email often fails miserably (particularly when the wrong mailing lists are chosen). This is where direct mail still shines despite the all the economic challenges of getting direct mail to the mail box. Response rates, average order, and ROI are higher with direct mail prospecting programs. With good mailing lists, results are even better.

What do you think? Can prospecting save direct mail? Or will spiraling postage and other cost increases eventually make direct mail inviable?

The Quest for Better Mailing List Information

Direct Magazine just published an article by Lee Kroll of Kroll Direct Marketing called "The Quest for Better Data Cards."

Mr. Kroll first speaks of the importance of data cards:

Let's all agree that the datacard is still the most effective sales tool that list owners and managers utilize to promote their mailing lists and direct marketing services to list brokers and mailers.

Mr. Kroll suggests that data cards deserve the attention of senior management and should not be relegated to a junior person in the back room:

The datacard writing and update process should be a "top-down" task, not a "bottom-up" task. It takes "real" industry leaders to demand higher quality datacards to be created and maintained.

He cites problems that result from inaccurate and incomplete data cards:

Surprisingly, there are some list management companies that intentionally leave critical information off their datacards, and believe that if a broker needs additional information that they will call the list manage, so the manager will have an opportunity to upsell or cross-sell the broker. The reality is that today, the broker doesn't have time to play that game and needs vital information at their fingertips without having to make multiple requests for basic information that should already be provided.

It is also very frustrating when a broker reviews a datacard only to find that there are a significant number of excellent selections, offered but no quantities listed. The broker has no idea of whether or not that particular mailing list will ultimately provide enough records for the client's specific parameters or meet the minimum order quantity.

Let me tell you... maintaining an electronic data card database is not easy.

But with 20 years of experience, mIn and NextMark have invented technology and efficient procedures that enable us to produce the most complete and up-to-date database available today. You see the proof in our mailing list search tool, list research system, and audited data card database that contains more than 60,000 active listings (and more than 90,000 data cards overall).

As Mr. Kroll observed, data cards and good mailing list information is absolutely critical to making good decisions about circulation plans and to the results of your direct mail program. Experts agree that 40% or more of your success depends on your choice of mailing lists! That's why we've worked so hard to build and maintain this database.

Despite years of continuous innovation, we are still finding new ways to improve. For example, our next software release will connect data cards to data. This technological leap has far-reaching business implications. Not the least of which is making it easier to maintain the counts on a data cards and enriching the data card with in-depth profile information (actual screen shot):

This new profile will be available early June along with NextMark Select in NextMark version 7.0. We'll be showing off the new technology at the FastForward and DM Days Conferences (let us know if you want a personal demonstration).

And we certainly won't stop there... our quest to enable you to "Reach Your Market" by delivering you "Customers On-Demand" will keep us busy with new innovations for many years to come.