All online businesses know they need a mailing list, in order to build their business. A mailing list, if used correctly, can give you a list of potential and existing clients; those people who are interested in what you do and what you have to offer. However, it’s also easy for small business owners to get despondent over having a small mailing list. After all, a small mailing list means no one’s really interested in you or your company… right?
Well, the short answer to that is ‘it depends.’ If you’re doing everything you can to get your name out there, advertising and interacting via social media etc., and people still aren’t signing up to your mailing list – you may want to look at whether you’re advertising in the wrong places and/or your opt-in freebee REALLY is something they’re interested in. You may be offering what YOU think is a good idea, but the lack of interest from your TARGET audience may say otherwise.
However, if you are getting signups consistently and regularly – even if they’re only small in number – you’re obviously doing something right.
Small business owners in particular, are often side-tracked by how many people are on their mailing lists – but what’s really important is what those people on your mailing list are interested in and how well you’re building a relationship with them, that should be your main concern.
Take two examples. You can have a list of 10,000 people or a list of 1,000. Which is best? The larger list certainly looks and sounds impressive, in comparison to the list of 1,000 people, but if the vast majority of those people on that list aren’t interested in you or what you’ve got to offer… it’s worth nothing to you.
Numbers really aren’t the most important factor in your mailing list. There are other, far more important things you need to be focusing on, when it comes to your mailing list:
- How much interaction you have with your list and vice versa
- Building a long-term relationship with your list
- Staying in regular contact with your contacts
- Giving your list what they’re after
- Always giving your list something of value
It’s far too easy to think of it as a numbers only game. ‘How many are on your list?’ ‘How many bounces do you have?’ ‘How many are opening your list?’ But if you look to follow those more important things listed above, you’ll naturally and organically build your list, have more people opening your list AND have a lower bounce rate.
And this means a more responsive, interactive and interested list of contacts for you.
What are your thoughts around building a mailing list? Do you worry about the size of yours, or is it something you’re happy to ignore, choosing to focus your attentions on other gauging methods? Why not share your thoughts and experiences with us, by leaving a comment below?
Image Stuart Miles/Dollar Photo Club