Many businesses build their own lists by harvesting the names and e-mail addresses of visitors to their Web sites and their stores. This is probably the most effective way to assemble lists of qualified prospects.
Ask visitors to your site to check a box and enter their name and e-mail address if they want to receive related mailings. And be careful to protect the names once you collect them. Do not sell or distribute them for others to use (or misuse) unless you give fair notice on your Web site.
Build a list of your current customers, and include each new customer on future mailings and promotions. It is important, however, to obtain the permission of each and every person. It’s basic business marketing and it works.
Go with the Pros
You can rent e-mail lists just as you would a direct-marketing list, and they can be targeted by the industry and/or topic. Companies that provide direct-mail lists will even handle the details of the mailing — for a fee. CAUTION-This isn't permission marketing but it can be a good starting point to weed out those non qualifying leads.
Make sure that the rented lists contain only names of people who have agreed to receive targeted mailings. Ask the companies offering the lists how they acquired the names and addresses. Under no circumstances should you use bulk lists, often sold on CD-ROMs. They typically contain names of people who have not agreed to receive unsolicited e-mail. Be aware that if your ISP receives complaints about your company's e-mailing practices, they could shut down your account.
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About Author Stewart Severino, a marketing consultant who specializes in helping business owners and company's with marketing and advertising utilizing different customer touch points. Stewart is the author of the educational blog covering the topics in online, mobile and direct marketing. To learn more about this topic please visit, http://www.maddockmedia.com/
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