Has Anyone Used Thomson Local For Direct Mail Data?

[JamieM]

I'm looking to purchase some direct mail data and was considering Thomson Local.

Does anyone have any experience with them?

I have some doubts about it because I'm not convinced their data is particularly up to date.

If anyone has any other suggestions particularly for the hair and beauty industry that would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[soundengineeruk]

This may get you started

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/using-thomson-local-yell-data.41551/

 

[JamieM]

This may get you started

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/using-thomson-local-yell-data.41551/

Thanks but that thread is not really relevant to what I am asking. It's about using Thomson Local data to compile an online business directory.

I want to purchase data for a direct mail campaign but am concerned that the Thomson Local data is not new enough. I am looking for data in the hair and beauty industry and businesses open and close on a very regular basis.

Any experiences would be great.

 

[DataML]

Hi JamieM I work for Thomson Local. More than happy to send you a sample of what you are looking for that way you can have some first hand experience with our data, and more than happy to have a conversation about how we verify and update the data. If you would like my number feel free to pm me and I will ping it over.

 

[fisicx]

I drove past the Thompson Local offices in Farnborough yesterday. It looked derelict. Are you the only one left Samantha?

 

[DataML]

Hi fisicx, we are no longer there we moved around 2 years ago now. If you are familiar with the area we are know by farnborough airport by the costco if you know it?

 

[Ashley_Price]

I want to purchase data for a direct mail campaign but am concerned that the Thomson Local data is not new enough. I am looking for data in the hair and beauty industry and businesses open and close on a very regular basis.

With respect to Samantha, one concern I would flag up is that when a new business opens up, or moves, they are often bombarded with phone calls and mailshots from firms who are signed up with the Thomson Local New Connections service.

When I moved offices three years ago, I was instantly snowed under with calls and letters from firms congratulating me on starting the new business (it had been established since 1996) and sending me free sample pens with my business name printed on. When I asked those who phoned me how they got my details, it was through Thompson Local.

So, the data is up to date, but it may just be your message gets lost amongst all the others.

 

[Hospitality_king]

It's about using Thomson Local data to compile an online business directory.

Never used Thomson since 2004 for anything and never will

 

[JamieM]

Hi JamieM I work for Thomson Local. More than happy to send you a sample of what you are looking for that way you can have some first hand experience with our data, and more than happy to have a conversation about how we verify and update the data. If you would like my number feel free to pm me and I will ping it over.

Hi Samantha,

We're actually launching a new product in the new year so we have decided to delay the direct mail campaign so we can promote the new product as well.

Feel free to send me a private message with your direct email address and I'll get in touch later on. Despite not receiving much feedback here I'll probably be happy to do a test with a small list and see how we go.

With respect to Samantha, one concern I would flag up is that when a new business opens up, or moves, they are often bombarded with phone calls and mailshots from firms who are signed up with the Thomson Local New Connections service.

When I moved offices three years ago, I was instantly snowed under with calls and letters from firms congratulating me on starting the new business (it had been established since 1996) and sending me free sample pens with my business name printed on. When I asked those who phoned me how they got my details, it was through Thompson Local.

So, the data is up to date, but it may just be your message gets lost amongst all the others.

I'm not too concerned about that but out of interest do you know how they have immediate data on office moves etc?

Never used Thomson since 2004 for anything and never will

Why?

Would you recommend another company for direct mail data?

 

[DataML]

No problem, I will drop you a message and you can contact me when your ready for a sample. I can answer all questions on our brand new business data, however the way I read your post was that you were looking for beauty/hair industry data, but were concerned about the quality of the data available due to these businesses opening and closing at higher rate. Speak soon

 

[Ashley_Price]

I'm not too concerned about that but out of interest do you know how they have immediate data on office moves etc?

I am assuming it is when that business contacts Thomson to let them know of the change of address, etc., so that it can be updated in the directory, but @murray.samantha may be able to help you more with that.

 

[DataML]

Market Location is the data outlet for Thomson Local. Updates directly from a client to update their Thomson Local listing is a very small percentage of BNB Data (aka new connections). We have several sources to produce these new business files for our clients, some examples; we are aware of new business phone lines which automatically feed through to our call centre for verification, our call centre makes over 10,000 calls a day and uniquely we have partnerships with over 400 online directories and also we are aware of all new company registrations. (needless to say we will only ever included businesses who have been verified as a brand new business) . Hopefully that gives a little bit of insight into how the particular service is produced. Bit of a long winded answer to your post Ashley but hopefully it clarifies a little bit more about what we do and how we do it

 

[fisicx]

...our call centre makes over 10,000 calls a day

I know. I get them all the time. I wish you would stop.

 

[Hospitality_king]

Why?

Your ideo is flawed. We run membership type site, in they have a central database of info that must be customers enticed to add their details so you have something to get the traffic.

In buikding databse, it takes years, just like a forum..... ad is exactly a labour of love. People will go past you straight to the companies bypassing you and you wont get paid out.

 

[JamieM]

Your ideo is flawed. We run membership type site, in they have a central database of info that must be customers enticed to add their details so you have something to get the traffic.

In buikding databse, it takes years, just like a forum..... ad is exactly a labour of love. People will go past you straight to the companies bypassing you and you wont get paid out.

Sorry I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Hospitality_king]

Sorry I have no idea what you are talking about.

Ok, Yahoo displays paid adverts yes! - if payment been made to hire the space, then that's good. You go to Yahoo, want the advert and pay up k? tat's good for Yahoo.

Now, Yahoo relies on paid adverts to get revenue, the searchers never pay, cos the model doesn't work that way, er, the model owner, spent their life adding data )company info) to its databse, k -- the searcher gets the info for free, and never pays cos the search results are free - so only way to make money is to charge for adspace elsewhere on the site - this is paid for by companies who pay you direct. The searcher never pay, cos its understood that Mr advertiser company pays and not them, so this has been learnt over the years to be the normal way of things.

At moment all search engines are set up to charge for extra ad space. So Mr advertiser knows he just got in for free, cos your site is set up this way right? So now he never pays.

So you are forever doing additional sales to the Mr advertiser company you gave the free option too. Its harder to make money when the main product is free, cos it must be free so you have content - no content and theres sod all for the users. Ok?

Forums work this way. What you want is a way to charge the customer eg: a user that orders something, and directly pays you first/direct, and to take a commission off that fee.

 

[JamieM]

I think you have completely misunderstood the discussion here. I am asking if anyone has ever purchased direct mail data from Thomson Local. This means buying a list of businesses contact info to send marketing to by post.

It has absolutely nothing to do with online marketing or Yahoo.

 

[Hospitality_king]

I think you have completely misunderstood the discussion here. I am asking if anyone has ever purchased direct mail data from Thomson Local. This means buying a list of businesses contact info to send marketing to by post.

It has absolutely nothing to do with online marketing or Yahoo.

Don't teach me how to suck eggs please, as you are talking to a online publisher with a reasonable web portfolio ok. Thank you.

So how many pages of content do you have? Lets find that out to begin with, then its easier to advise you.

 

[JamieM]

Don't teach me how to suck eggs please, as you are talking to a online publisher with a reasonable web portfolio ok. Thank you.

So how many pages of content do you have? Lets find that out to begin with, then its easier to advise you.

I am not an online publisher and my post is nothing to do with online content. Your replies are completely irrelevant to my question.

 

[Hospitality_king]

I am not an online publisher

Eh? you own a directory yes. You post said:

It's about using Thomson Local data to compile an online business directory.

A directory is a categorized listings book - online. You are now a publisher of biz contact details.

So you are trying to contact other businesses and want data to give you nice load of contact details to, I'm assuming so you can flog your directory space or give it away for free to build your own database.

Oh and by btw - you are doing it all wrong anyway, mainly cos Thomson will want paying for the data. Never pay for data when building a membership site - Christ!

 

[JamieM]

Eh? you own a directory yes. You post said:

It's about using Thomson Local data to compile an online business directory.

No, that is why you have become confused. When I said that I was describing another thread that soundengineeruk linked me to. I told him that that thread was not relevant because it was about using Thomson Local data to compile an online business directory.

This may get you started

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/threads/using-thomson-local-yell-data.41551/

Thanks but that thread is not really relevant to what I am asking. It's about using Thomson Local data to compile an online business directory.

As I have already explained I am looking to buy a list for direct mail, to send marketing to businesses by post.

 

[Rymer Associates]

I have used Experian in the past! They were the cheapest and had reliable data too!