So what are the components of a great marketing database? It must be able to store your customers name, email address and mailing address. By this definition an Excel spreadsheet or MS Outlook would work well but there is more! A good database will allow you to market more effectively because of the additional functionality it contains.
If you are looking for the simplest method of adding new clients to your database, you cant do better than creating an online form and having your website or blog users enter their information directly. The beauty of this is that it allows you to set up auto-responders that will communicate with your clients handsfree! Setting up a web form can sometimes seem overwhelming, but it is VERY easy and affordable to find someone to handle the technical aspects if you are not HTML savvy.
Making your message personalized is one of the great tricks that your marketing database will help you perform. Any decent database will allow you to send out direct mail or email messages that start with Dear Client rather than a generic message like Hello Friends. This personalization is a key to getting your marketing message to be opened and responded to!
A great database takes a commitment “ a commitment to adding new people to it regularly! It is VERY easy to find new people to add, you dont have to look any further than your church group or your professional associations or your friends and family. You can easily add five people per day, gaining you well over a thousand people by this time next year.
The best thing about the internet is the ability to market affordably, and no where is that more apparent than with email marketing! Using just a little time, you can send a message to your entire database with just a few mouse clicks. A great message that is helpful to your clients can be sent once or twice a month without burning out your list.
Too many people ONLY use their database as a mailing list, but that is not such a bad thing overall. If you can afford to send out a direct mail piece to your entire database twice a month, you can expect a good return on your investment within the first few months. If you cannot send multiple messages out, consider using email or phone calls as it typically takes a number of tries before you will see results.
Autoresponders or drip marketing is another way to communicate with your database. This involves sending out a series of messages over time to your new clients or prospects, telling them about aspects of your business or service. Instead of yelling at them about your business, you tell them about it gradually through a series emails sent once a week or even every few days. Two great services for autoresponders are AWeber and Constant Contact, both of which supply a great service at an affordable price.
The most important thing I can tell you about your database is to stay on message. DO NOT send out information that is not related to your business or service. There is nothing that will burn out a mailing list faster than constantly sending mixed messages about what your core service is. Treat your database like it contains gold and dont ever abuse the trust people have placed in you to send great content on a regular basis.