3 Keys to Building a Potential Customer List

shutterstock_31932631Potential customers are the lifeblood of any small business, and if you’re not growing that means you’re slowing down.

Understanding how to build a potential customer list can help keep new clients and consumers coming in the door. While learning how to build a potential customer list isn’t always easy, it is something every business owner can do.

Use this guide to help you through the process and start growing your business through marketing.

Make Your E-Mail List Obvious

One of the biggest problems that small businesses face when it comes to building a potential customer list is incredibly easy to solve. Believe it or not, many small businesses just don’t make it easy for customers to opt-in to announcements, newsletters and other e-mails from your company.

If you want to build your potential customer list you need to have a clear call to action.  Make it clear what people will get when they sign up. Printed materials, website pages and even social media posts should used to promote your communication.

Without asking your customers to sign up for your e-mail list why would you expect them to do it?

Give Customers Reasons

You want to build your potential customer list and you know that doing so will help you snag paying customers. But as much as you want those customers on your e-mail list, they just don’t seem to be signing up in meaningful numbers. Wonder why?

The answer is probably that you aren’t providing reasons to sign up. Free gifts and coupons/discounts can work, but they aren’t the only way to build your e-mail list. Another option is to provide relevant, interesting and useful information for your potential customers via blog posts or e-mail.

Create a Dialog

Once you have people on your list you need to contact them right away. Continuing the dialog is incredibly important and it will keep you fresh in their minds. They’ll also be more likely to pass your site or e-mail list along to friends, family and co-workers.

Don’t Rule Out Regular Mail

It’s much easier to build your potential customer list for a regular mail campaign. For example, you can go online and design a custom postcard or upload your own design and generate a list based on geography and demography.