An accurate business mailing list of current customers could be a goldmine for your company’s marketing department. Mailing lists for marketing provide leads for sales, focus groups for testing new products, and consumers to provide feedback on satisfaction. These business marketing lists should be updated regularly so they remain current and as effective as possible.
Mailing lists may be lists of physical addresses or email addresses. After all, both email and direct mail remain effective; research from Small Business Trends indicates that email marketing provides the best ROI for both acquisition and retention.
The following are just a few of the many opportunities for making the most of a customer mailing list for businesses:
- Track which services/products are used or purchased by that customer.
- Track how they make purchases.
- Track how often they contact customer service.
With business mailing lists for marketing, segmentation is imperative. Not all messages need to be sent to all contacts. Your list should be carefully segmented based on the type of client or customer you hope to reach. Once contacts are divided into specific categories, based on customer information, communication can be tailored to meet each customer’s needs, thereby increasing your response rate.
Not sure how to get started with your customer mailing list? The following are few key categories for segmentation, along with reasons underscoring the importance of customer mailing list development:
1. Sales Leads
People who have already purchased from a company are more likely to purchase again, provided their experience was a good one. If you fail to contact previous customers, you miss a huge opportunity. Your chances of scoring a sale are far greater with satisfied previous mailing list customers than with new clients who are not well acquainted with your brand.
If you’re struggling to find a place to start with your customer mailing list, previous customers represent a wonderful opportunity. These are the sales leads you didn’t even know you had. You may have already obtained contact information from them and could use this as the basis of a regular mailing list. Otherwise, now is the perfect time to start building up your commercial mailing list by collecting email addresses in-store, on your website, or via social media.
The importance of a mailing list for customers is particularly notable among companies that sell a variety of products. A customer who purchases one type of product from a given company is likely to seek out other products, especially if reminded of them sufficiently through marketing and outreach efforts.
For example, a company that leases vehicles and provides roadside services can contact customers who have only invested in one of these services. The company’s sales team can then begin marketing to such individuals to purchase the remaining service. A driver who has sought roadside assistance in the past may require a mere nudge to invest in a lease for a more reliable vehicle.
2. New Products
As mentioned above, current customers who are happy with already purchased products or services are more likely to try new products from the same company in the future. These customers may express interest in product launches — but without a reliable customer mailing list, they may never learn of new products.
A customer mailing list is the perfect starting point for a successful product launch. Use the list to build excitement about the product long before it’s ready to be purchased. Let previous customers know the details about the product: what makes it even better than previous products, and why those who have invested in your items in the past should be interested in your new campaign. Not only will this get loyal customers excited, it could generate ideas for new products that will succeed in your target market in the future.
Of course, not just any product launch email will generate excitement. Ideally, customer lists will be segmented, as mentioned earlier. Segmentation via demographics and other information can ensure that the right emails reach the right customers & prospects. This will prevent you from overloading your customers with information; instead, they’ll be clued in on the new products or services most relevant to their interests.
3. Customer Service
A customer mailing list can be used effectively to gain a sense for customer satisfaction. For example, your company can track which customers use your call center and how they interact with representatives. Following each call, ask these customers to complete surveys detailing the quality of their experience with your customer service department. This is a key tactic for large companies such as Optimum, but ideally should be implemented at the small business level as well.
Once you’ve gathered extensive customer service feedback from individuals on your mailing list, determine where respondents feel that your company can improve — and how you can make each experience better. If you aren’t exceeding expectations with customers who’ve already expressed satisfaction with your product, you’re not likely to make a positive impression on new customers.
Remember: the customers on your mailing list are your most useful resource. They hold the key to improving your products, and ultimately, your bottom line. Treat all feedback — positive and negative — as an opportunity for improvement. After all, if one customer expresses disappointment, they’re certainly not alone. According to Grove HQ, for every one customer who takes the time to complain, there are another 26 unhappy customers who keep quiet.
If you’re not gathering contact information from your customers, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to generate both repeat business and new leads. Customer mailing list importance cannot be overstated; the information you gather now could pay dividends down the road. Keep in touch via your mailing list, and you’re bound to improve both your products and your profits.
Key Takeaways
- Customer mailing lists allow your business to pinpoint new leads and build stronger relationships with existing customers.
- Your company can generate a buzz surrounding product launches by getting customers on your mailing list in the loop.
- Customers from your mailing list can provide valuable feedback on your company’s customer service — along with areas for improvement.
Contact Ballantine For Marketing Support
Ready to take the next step with your marketing initiative? The trustworthy team at Ballantine can help you make the most of your marketing budget. Boasting over 50 years of experience, we’re eager to help you build your brand with our mailing list services! Contact us today at (973) 305-1500 to learn more.
* This blog post has been updated. You can see the post from 2013 below. *
An accurate mailing list of current customers is a goldmine for the sales and marketing department in any company. Keeping a customer mail list for company marketing updated and accurate is important to maintain its usefulness. These lists are important as they provide leads for sales, a group for testing new products and a group to provide feedback on satisfaction.
Mailing lists for business (both large and small) may be lists of physical addresses or email addresses. It is a good idea to include as much information with the mailing list as possible.
- Track which services/products are used or purchased by that customer.
- Track how they make purchases.
- Track how often they contact customer service.
These are just a few useful ways to segment the list so that communication can be tailored to the specific customer.
1. Sales Leads
People who have already purchased from a company are more likely to purchase again, provided their experience was a good one. A marketing mailing list gathered from current customers is a great place for sales to start. This is particularly true for a company that has multiple products. For example, a company that leases vehicles and provides roadside services can contact their customers who have only purchased one or the other. Sales can try to persuade them to purchase the other service.
2. New Products
Current customers who are happy with the product or service they have received are more likely to be willing to try a new product. As a result, a customer mailing list is a great place to start a product launch. Utilize the list to build excitement about the product even before it is ready to be purchased. Get people talking about what they want or need before the product officially launches and improvements can be made to make it even better. This information sharing is also a great way to get ideas for new products that will do well in the market.
3. Customer Service
A customer mailing list can be used effectively to get feedback on satisfaction levels. Tracking who uses the call center and then asking them to complete a survey on their experience is one example — giant companies like Optimum do this all the time. Utilize the information gathered from the customers to fine tune the areas of your company that have low satisfaction levels. Learn from your customers and let them help you improve.
I'm the Director of Digital Services and Partner at Ballantine, a family-owned and operated direct mail & digital marketing company based in New Jersey. and started in 1966 by my great uncle!
