As the holiday season approaches, there’s one task that tends to loom large on the agenda of law firms: updating holiday mailing lists. Before diving into the hustle and bustle of designing holiday greetings or choosing the perfect client gift, focus on ensuring that the recipients of your good wishes actually receive them. Here’s how.

Why Prioritize Your Holiday Mailing List?

An updated master mailing list ensures that your holiday greetings reach their intended recipients, whether you’re going digital or sticking to traditional paper cards. Many aspects of this seasonal ritual require attention – from selecting an appropriate design and ensuring an inclusive message to deciding on gifts or charitable contributions. But without an accurate list of contacts, all these efforts could go astray.

Steps to a Flawless Holiday Mailing List

1. Start Early: Begin with last year’s list(s) – now. Review and decide which contacts to retain, revise, add and remove. You’ll need the participation of your lawyers and their assistants for this task. Early preparation can prevent a chaotic scramble as the holidays draw near.
2. Automate Email Checks: Use an automated email validation tool. It’s a swift, efficient way to detect faulty email addresses, which can then either be rectified or removed.
3. Address Updates: Keep in mind that up to 30-35% of contacts might have changes in their data annually. For a list of 50,000 contacts, up to 15,000 might need revising. Ensure you capture changes in addresses, job titles, companies and more. This can be a huge undertaking if contact records are not being maintained as part of standard CRM data quality practices.
4. Essential Data: Decide on your mode of sending – email or postal mail. Following this, any contact without a corresponding valid address should be excluded.
5. Outdated Contacts: Remove contacts that have lost relevance – those who’ve had no recent interactions, are no longer associated with current attorneys or have passed away.
6. Unsubscribe Requests: Ensure a process is in place to honor unsubscribe requests. It’s not just about being courteous; there might be legal implications too.

Learn more about how to harness the power of holiday eCards this season.