Build and maintain a quality lead list

Engaging in competitive marketing is essential for building a market presence and growing a client base. But how do technology service providers market effectively to potential clients? For many businesses, email marketing campaigns are convenient, but the return on investment isn’t what they’re hoping for.

Why aren’t emails always effective when they have such a wide reach? A large part of the disconnect between TSPs and possible clients has to do with who is receiving emails and why. Maintaining a quality lead list is one of the most effective ways to increase the success of your marketing campaign. Below are things you should consider while creating lead lists.

Say no to third-party sources

Building a quality lead list can be daunting , and it may seem easier to just purchase leads from a third-party source. You may be tempted to rely on potential clicks for sales, but third-party lead lists are full of recipients who never opted in to your message. That means your emails end up filtered as spam or your company domain blacklisted. Essentially, this might seem like the easiest route, but it achieves the opposite of what you and your company are hoping for.

What are you looking for?

Before you can populate your lead list, you should define the criteria for the list. Having defined criteria allows your sales team to understand the leads they can expect from each campaign. This way, sales can be effectively closed, allowing your sales and marketing teams to work as a cohesive unit.

Forms are an effective tool

After you have defined the criteria for your list, you need to populate it. Consider using a form directly on your website to build an effective lead list. These forms will generate contacts that ARE interested in the products or services you have to offer. It’s as simple as communicating to your visitors that they are signing up to receive information from your company. Forms are especially helpful because they can be used to gather details about the new contact that allows your sales team to handle the lead effectively.

ConnectWise Campaign contains a form designer that allows you to instantly create an opportunity, activity, or service ticket that is based on the form’s location on your site. The form designer allows you to ensure the right team member can respond as soon as a form is submitted.

Cultivate your social media presence

Today, the most powerful means of cost-effective marketing comes in the form of social media. Generating a strategy directly involving social media can allow your marketing team to increase brand recognition while simultaneously engaging with a broad audience of consumers. We’ve compiled a list of social media marketing tips that you can use, rework, and implement to fit your business and marketing model.

Be personable

While you are engaging with leads and potential clients, avoid using role-based accounts, such as Info@, Support@, or Help@ as the recipient email address. It is difficult to assess who has opted-in to receive correspondence from role-based accounts, making them less than ideal for effective marketing. Plus, there is no guarantee that messages sent from role-based accounts will be reviewed after they are received.

Maintenance matters

It is tempting, after all of the work you’ve put into compiling your lead list, to be content with simply adding to it periodically. But an effective list of leads is one that is maintained regularly. Potential clients who might have wanted to receive information from your company two years, two months, or even two weeks ago may be ready to stop receiving information. According to Return Path, roughly 25-50% of any lead list will include inactive subscribers. Reengaging or clearing those leads from your list will allow your team to engage in more targeted and effective campaigns.

Ensuring you have a quality lead list will allow you to dramatically increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. By ensuring that the people you are reaching out to are open to your message, you can see greater returns on your time and marketing investments. Continuously putting effort into building and maintaining a lead list that fits your business will allow you to make long term gains.