Why is Address Cleansing Important?
Before sending any mailing campaign, it’s worth making sure your data is as accurate, up to date and relevant as possible.
Address cleansing isn’t just about correcting addresses. It’s about improving the quality of your mailing list by identifying records that may no longer be suitable for your campaign.
What is address cleansing?
Address cleansing is the process of reviewing and improving your mailing data before it’s used.
Depending on your requirements, this could include:
- Removing duplicate records
- Identifying people who have moved (goneaways)
- Screening against deceased records
- Suppressing people who have opted out through the Mail Preference Service (MPS)
- Checking address accuracy and quality
- Standardising address formats
The result is a cleaner, more accurate mailing list that’s ready for your campaign.
Why is address cleansing important?
Sending mail to the wrong people can be expensive and may affect the success of your campaign.
Poor quality data may result in:
- Duplicate mailings
- Mail sent to people who have moved
- Mail sent to deceased individuals
- Unnecessary printing and postage costs
- Lower response rates
Taking the time to cleanse your data before a campaign can help reduce waste and improve the effectiveness of your mailing.
What’s the difference between address validation and address cleansing?
Address validation checks that an address exists and is correctly formatted, often using the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF).
Address cleansing is a wider process that aims to improve the overall quality of your mailing data. It may include validating addresses, removing duplicate records, identifying goneaways and screening against suppression files.
In other words, address validation is one part of address cleansing rather than an alternative to it.
Summary
Address cleansing is about improving the overall quality of your mailing data before a campaign. By checking addresses, removing unsuitable records and keeping your data up to date, you can reduce waste, improve response rates and make your mailing more effective.