There can be no debate that the Internet has changed the way people live, communicate and do business, and direct marketing is certainly no exception. In order to compete in this digital society, you will constantly need to build up your email database to ensure you are reaching the maximum amount of potential customers with each direct mailing piece you construct. In this article we will show you how you can do just that by simply tweaking your current style.
The first tip for building up your email list may sound oversimplified, but its importance cannot be overlooked: You need to begin asking your customers for their email address. There are many ways this can be done—ways that will be highlighted below—but the important thing to remember is that every communication or touch point with a customer should include some type of request for an email address. It is estimated that this simple step can help bolster your current email database by at least 10-20 percent in the course of a year.
You don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” to begin collecting email addresses, but you do need to tweak your current marketing strategies to include this type of request information. Some will choose to add this information to their direct mail pieces or on their website, while others will use their telemarketing strategy to collect email addresses. You can even “go viral” and begin asking your current customers for the email addresses of friends and family. Regardless of the strategy you decide to use, you can be sure to gradually increase the size of your email database if you make collecting this information one of your prime focuses.
Email appending is another route you can take in your quest to collect email addresses, and while this is certainly a quicker strategy than merely asking for these addresses through your own channels, it will cost you a bit more money. Email appending allows you—for a price—to match the records of your existing database with a database filled with email addresses. The process usually takes only 1-2 months and can increase the size of your existing database by up to a quarter.
Email has become the most effective marketing tool there is for direct marketers, giving them an opportunity to reach thousands of potential customers at the click of a mouse. To build up the tips above and you’ll begin to see your database grow exponentially over the next several years.
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