Building a robust mailing list is crucial for the success of any small business. It allows you to reach out directly to potential customers and keep your marketing efforts aligned with current conditions. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you create an effective mailing list.

Step 1: Gather a General List

1.1 Attract Prospects into the Business

• Register for Visitors: Encourage visitors to sign a register when they visit your business.
• Register for Guessing Contests: Organize contests and collect participant information.
• Inquiries for Novelties: Offer free novelties in exchange for contact details.
• Suggestions from Customers: Collect suggestions and feedback from customers.
• Post Cards Inviting Inquiry: Send out postcards inviting inquiries about your products or services.

1.2 Utilize Directories

• City Directories: Use city directories to find potential customers.
• Telephone Directories: Extract contact information from telephone directories.

1.3 Explore Miscellaneous Sources

• Newspapers: Look for potential leads in newspaper advertisements and articles.
• Convention Delegate Lists: Obtain lists of delegates from conventions.
• Utility Company Customers: Use customer lists from gas and electric companies.
• Professional Lists: Get lists from lawyers, doctors, and dentists.

Step 2: Create Class Lists

2.1 Women

• Women’s Club Memberships: Collect information from women’s club memberships.
• City Directory: Use the city directory to find women in your target area.
• Church Organization Membership: Gather contacts from church organizations.

2.2 Children

• Essay Contest Registrations: Organize essay contests and collect participant details.
• School Records: Use records from school superintendents.
• School Census: Refer to the school census for potential leads.
• Sunday School Roll: Utilize Sunday school rolls for contact information.

2.3 Men

• Political Polling Lists: Use political polling lists to find potential customers.
• Factory and Store Payrolls: Gather information from factory and store payrolls.
• Railroad Station Agents: Collect contacts from railroad station agents.
• Lodge Membership Rolls: Use lodge membership rolls for leads.
• Club Membership Lists: Refer to club membership lists.

2.4 Farmers

• Personal Solicitors: Employ personal solicitors to gather information.
• Warehouse Agents: Use agents working in warehouses to collect contacts.
• Farm Product Contest Registrations: Organize contests for farm products and collect participant details.
• Farmers’ Warehouse Membership: Gather information from farmers’ warehouse memberships.
• Rural Mail Carriers’ Lists: Use lists from rural mail carriers.

2.5 Business Men

• Factory’s List of Dealers: Use lists of dealers from factories.
• Railroad Annual of Shippers and Receivers: Refer to the railroad annual for contacts.
• Dun’s Trade Review: Utilize Dun’s trade review for potential leads.

2.6 Professional Men

• State Year Book: Use the state year book to find professional contacts.

2.7 Property Holders

• Probate Court Records: Gather information from probate court records.
• Personal Tax Lists: Use personal tax lists for leads.
• Tax Digest: Refer to the tax digest for contact information.
• Records of Register of Deeds: Utilize records from the register of deeds.

---