Your Secret Weapon to Business Growth: The Email Contact List

Written by Laurie Zinn@LineByLineLLC10 years ago

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An email contact list may seem like an insignificant collection of data. It’s just a list of names and emails, right?

It’s really quite more than that. An email contact list one of the most powerful marketing tools your business has in its toolbox.

Who should be on your email contact list?

Your email contact list should contain current and potential customer names that have given permission to be added to your list.

It can also be composed of people who have filled out a contact form on your website, or provided an email address in order to download an e-book or sign up for a webinar.

Your email contact list should always be evolving. You should try to add new permission-based customer and potential customer names to your list as you get them.

How can an email contact list grow your business?

Helpful, informative content sent to a permission-based email list is an effective way to develop relationships and grow your business. Here’s how:

• Your message goes to right to your customers’ email inboxes. You don’t have to wonder if they saw your information on a social media post or blog. You are sending the message directly to them.

• By importing the email contact list into an email marketing program, such as MailChimp, iContact or Constant Contact, you can create professional messages that both help your customers and promote your business.

• An email contact list allows you to target your message to a specific group. For example, if you had a list of new customers, you could contact them about a special offer for first-time customers.

• It creates “top-of-mind” awareness. By showing up in their email boxes on a consistent basis, you are continually reminding your customers that you are there. Even if they don’t have a need for your product or service at that moment, they may think of you at a later time when they do.

• It builds a relationship with your contacts. When you send information on a consistent basis, you become familiar. They start to recognize your business name, your brand and your email content as a source of helpful information.

Many sales professionals say it takes seven “touches” before a lead becomes a customer. Customers want to feel like they know you and trust you before they do business with you. Your email contact list is a powerful tool that allows you to consistently stay in touch, build a relationship, and eventually turn those leads into customers.

Laurie Zinn is a Columbus-based freelance writer and owner of Line-By-Line. She helps businesses communicate with their customers through website content, blog articles, email marketing campaigns and social media. For more information about Line-By-Line, visit http://line-by-line.us or contact Laurie at laurie@line-by-line.us.