White Paper Series: Web Based Lead Generation
By: Jeremy Duimstra
Previously we covered The Billboard Page. Following is the second of four proven tactics that can increase your leads in the digital world:
E-mail Marketing
E-mail is a very inexpensive way to reach both a very large audience, or a very targeted one. There is, however, one caveat that goes hand-in-hand with e-mail. You must make sure that everyone receiving your e-mail has chosen to do so.
Opt-in e-mail isn't just the right thing to do morally and ethically — it's also quickly becoming the only legal way to distribute commercial messages via the internet.
Now, there are in fact a great many ways to create an e-mail contact database. Some are great. Some are good. Some are so-so. And some hang out in their spare time with Darth Vader, in a murky corner of the dark side. So, how do you find a good opt-in mailing list?
The best place to start is with that pile of business cards stacked up on your desk. These are all people that you have presumably met before, in some capacity or another. I, for example, generally write a quick e-mail to anyone I meet, inviting them to receive our monthly e-mail newsletter. In fact, you may be one of those people! Keeping this type of completely proprietary e-mail list growing and up-to-date is hard work. It is, however, by far the most effective list you can create. Guard your home-grown contact list with your life! If you put enough time and effort into it, it will become one of your most important assets.
Another option is to purchase or rent e-mail lists. But beware. If you don't want to undo every good thing your marketing has ever done for your reputation, it is critically important to use only opt-in lists from reputable companies when utilizing third-party lists.
New legislation already proposed in many states addresses "spam" mail, and suffice it to say, legislators aren't inclined to look kindly on bandwidth thieves who flood the Net's infrastructure with AMAZING OFFERS for HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS to give you ETERNAL LIFE (or whatever product is in rotation this week). Spam is defined as, quite simply, commercial e-mail distributed indiscriminately without regard to whether a recipient has agreed to receive commercial or promotional e-mails. There are many good companies from which to obtain legitimate opt-in lists. (If you'd like to know the names of a few of them, please drop me an e-mail or call.)
OK. So, now you have a list. What should you do with it? As always, content is key. For companies that are selling products, monthly promotions or sales are usually quite effective. E-mail allows you to link back to specific pages on your web site associated with a featured product, promotion, or sale. These are called Landing Pages, and we'll cover them in full detail later. This strategy lets you directly measure the amount of traffic, and sales, that are generated by each e-mail campaign.
If you are a service-based company, we recommend that you send a monthly newsletter to maintain contact with potential clients throughout the year. Why? Because studies have shown that a sale usually is made after 8 to 9 contacts. Also, in services, trust is key. Building trust by giving away valuable information helps you to build good habits, including consistent communication. Offer solid insights, research, and content. If the newsletters are seen as advertising people will simply opt-out.
Lead Generation Tactic Three: Seminars & Webinars