List Building Tips

Building a list, also known as a database, from the very beginning will enable you to grow your business by leaps and bounds in the future. In fact, your customer list or database, consisting of the names, email addresses, and other pertinent information from people who have actually spent money with you at some point in the past becomes an extremely valuable and coveted asset. There are many examples of companies that consider this list to be as valuable as real estate in their business.

But let’s go back to the beginning of how we build a list in the first place. I will explain it using both the online and offline methods that work very well. Whether your business is strictly online or a bricks and mortar location, the idea of capturing leads is a worthwhile endeavor. Here are some excellent list building tips.

Traditionally, the offline world of business did not include asking for an email address when providing information on the products and services they had to offer. Instead, a street address and telephone number sufficed when it came to staying in touch with prospects, clients, and customers. Those days are gone, and you now must absolutely ask for both a cell phone number (I’ll discuss the opportunity of text message marketing in another article) and a primary email address if you are to stay current with your marketing efforts.

Then, set up a system where you can drip messages to people on a regular basis to keep your company top of mind with them after they have done business with you. Aweber is the autoresponder service I use and highly recommend for this purpose; my discount link is http://ConnieLoves.me/Aweber. If your business is exclusively online, set up a landing page where people may add their name and email address to join your mailing list and then send them messages as I have described above.

The idea is to have your company’s name in front of both prospects and clients on a regular basis. A company that does this extremely well is Vista Printing. I expect to receive an email from them about once a week that shares what is new with their printing and products and to also give me a small discount if I order that week. When I am ready for new business cards, postcards, or something else they offer, I simply pull up their most recent email and click to order. Because they stay in touch so regularly I feel a connection with them and what they have to offer. This is excellent marketing on their part and I am more than happy to stay on their list.

Think about what you could include in emails to your target audience. You may want to share Case Studies, examples of what you have to offer, or even detailed information that is specific to just a small segment of your audience. Also, allow people to stay connected with you through social media as a further way to engage and connect over time. This becomes social proof that what you offer is unique, relevant, and valuable to others.

I hope you will take the necessary actions to build your list and grow your business. It has never been easier and more important to stay connected with your audience on a regular basis to build what is known as the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor over time.