10 ways to build your marketing lists

The crux of any printed marketing, email or telemarketing campaign is contacting people directly, hence it being known as Direct Marketing.  Direct marketing is great for many reasons which are a subject for another day, but if for no other reason than this “you already know something about the potential customers/clients you are targeting” it remains a firm favourite of marketing directors and CMO’s.

What can you do though to build your email, dialling or mailing lists; here we have compiled 10 of the best strategies for doing just this.

1 – Offer something for free

We have all seen this in action in the following formats, in exchange for your email address/phone number you can have X for free.

• Free eBooks
• Whitepapers
• Downloads

And why not, there has to be a simple exchange; it is the way of things, you have provided something of use or value and in return you ask for permission to market to them. If your free offering is that good then the likelihood of converting them is that much greater.

2 – Newsletters

A tried, tested and proven methodology of not only building your contact database but also for keeping in touch and letting them know you still exist. Make sure you keep the content fresh and engaging with a visually appealing design and you will reduce unsubscribe rates and again increase engagement.

3 – Online Webinars

Of course you are a market leading expert and you know your stuff. That is why you are in business, so share that knowledge. Online webinars are a great way of doing that, with the right set up you can speak directly to a large audience and answer questions you may not have thought needed answering. It can be an invaluable learning experience for you and by getting basic contact details in the sign up process you can continue to develop the relationship.

4 – Host an event

Not everything has to be digitally focused so try hosting your own business event. Depending on the nature of your business you may need to partner with other businesses, but not only do you get the contact details of those attending  and to meet them face to face, you can also forge new business relationships!

5 – Web Analytics

Traditional web analytics packages such as Google analytics do not give the actual user data but they do give you some great demographic data (if you aren’t using this feature I suggest you do the insights are powerful). However a new breed of analytics packages are appearing such as Lead Forensics that allows you to identify the companies that have visited your website and will give information such as –

• Company name
• Company address
• Email address
• Website

6 – Competitions

Everyone loves competitions. In simple terms the better the prize the more popular it will be. They can be emailed, tweeted, Facebooked and even sent out by post. You can also be sure that they will be talked about and in return what do you want, yes that’s it, permission to market to them.

7 – Ecommerce data

Whilst the chances are they have had to create an account with you prior to purchase, they may be able to bypass this, especially if you use a third party payment system such as PayPal. Check this data and ensure you are bringing it in to your database, if you don’t already that is.

8 – Buy data

For some this is a dirty word, for others it is essential to their marketing. The simple fact is, it is up to you and how you feel comfortable working and generating leads. The other way to look at it is, if it didn’t work why does the industry exist?

9 – Attend industry events

As simple as turn up, demonstrate your product, build interest, capture their details and then market to them. OK, it isn’t that simple but it works and at many events you just need to use a barcode scanner on the attendee’s pass to gain that information. This is another great way to meet your potential customers and existing ones to gain valuable face to face feedback.

10 – Free Tools or resources

You could develop a free tool or resource, that whilst free still requires a sign up. For example, if you offer software maybe release a light version or app for free that has limited functionality but it is still useful. After all, if you restrict it to far people won’t want to use it or even recommend it.

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Image Credits:
Lego Minifigures: Peter Petrus
Profile hero: gnews pics

Tags: direct marketing, Marketing