List-building is a core component of successful selling. At the basic level, the “list” refers to the database of people you can target your marketing messages and communications. Ideally, your list should contain like-minded people who have shown interest or might be interested in your products or services.

The process of listing prospects is nothing new, but developments in inbound marketing have paved the way for more targeted, clear-cut approaches. In the old days, sales teams would’ve settled with traditional methods; at the very least, sending the same generic messages to as many people as possible.

But in this customer-centric, hyper-competitive economy, businesses can no longer afford to throw shots in the dark.

List-building benefits businesses in many ways: the most obvious one being the assurance that every marketing penny is spent on someone who more likely to pay for the product or service.

A well-oiled list-building machine, however, can help you achieve all these:

• Fast-track the buyer’s journey
• Build strong customer relationships
• Increase sales revenue
• Keep up with the competition
• Drive long-term growth

Your list will then be the foundation of all your marketing and sales efforts, with each campaign informed by the rich information you have about your prospects. List-building may sound like a mundane task of gathering email subscribers, but it’s indispensable to your marketing strategy, and ultimately, the fate of your business.

List-Building Challenges for SMBs

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Digital platforms have created multiple touchpoints or opportunities for businesses to come in contact with a potential customer and make a sale. But not many companies are tapping into these digital strategies yet, especially in the small business sector.

A BigCommerce report reveals that 46 percent of small businesses still don’t have a website.

Websites serve as a primary conduit for collecting email subscribers. Social media, like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are only secondary sources. If a business doesn’t have a website, it is missing a significant opportunity to reach out to potential customers and cultivate relationships.

It’s harder to build a following on social media and nearly impossible to appear in search engine results pages without a website.

Among other things, the cost is the primary reason businesses stay offline. Because of this, they don’t have much access to critical information about their prospects, as well as actionable sales intelligence. Successful brands utilize audience insights and analytics, which give them an edge when it comes to customer engagement, conversion, and even retention. 

But the Internet has leveled the playing field, allowing businesses of all sizes room to grow, and avenues to connect with consumers and achieve the same level of brand loyalty. The task now for small companies is to embrace digital technology and keep up with consumer demands. 

From Prospect to Profitable Relationship

In List Building Blueprint, Ryan Levesque discusses the value of the Ask Method to fuel your list-building strategy. His approach comes down to the use of powerful psychological triggers, such as micro-commitments and self-discovery, to craft more effective marketing messages. But don’t get intimidated yet; Levesque suggests that a simple quiz, assessment, or diagnostic will do the trick.

The key to streamlining the journey from “prospect” to “profitable relationship” is to ask the right questions.  The best approach, Levesque adds, is to “lead people into a series of micro-commitments to an outcome that offers self-discovery in the form of diagnosis or another kind of self-awareness.”

Simply find a way to identify and solve your prospects’ specific problems and give them the opportunity to learn something about themselves.

Levesque also highlights the importance of two other triggers: curiosity and desire. Activating these can help you get more people to join your list. As your list grows and segments into a community of interested leads, you need to be ready to ride the momentum and ramp up your strategies.

Streamlining the Buying Experience

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A targeted list of leads helps streamline the buying journey. With it, you can craft highly customized campaigns for a specific audience segment at each stage of the journey. The sales cycle is cut short, and there’s a big chance that your messages resonate with the target audience.

As your leads get whittled to the bottom of the funnel, and your conversions go up, you’ll gain a better understanding of your customers and which campaigns work with them.

But there’s more. With an email list of prospects and happy customers, you can continue sending out campaigns that will add more value to their experience with your brand. With persistence and well-planned content strategies, you can turn leads into brand ambassadors.

Your sales funnel will not dry out. Your business will grow. And you’ll remain a valuable, trusted resource. You’ll see a favorable change in your bottom line once you form lasting relationships with your customers.

The Importance of CMS and CRM Integration

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Digital marketers disagree with each other about many things, but if there’s one thing they all swear by, it’s CMS and CRM integration.

A Content Management System is a platform that allows the creation and modification of digital content in a collaborative setup, while a Customer Relationship Management tool tracks contacts, leads, analytics, and super specific demographic data. These tools help business leaders view critical information at a glance to make informed decisions.

Marketers use them as a way to manage and fast-track the process of converting leads. The most advanced systems even let you swoop into what your competitors are doing. But more importantly, they help you craft and automate richly customized marketing campaigns across digital channels.

Simply put, these platforms ensure that you’re not wasting money and effort on the wrong business leads. You can tap into a wealth of information so you can create authentic personas and implement the right strategies throughout the buying journey.

The digital economy is a high-traffic, highly volatile space. Businesses of all sizes should be at the forefront of providing value to consumers. And a list-building game plan is a crucial first step to achieve your marketing and sales objectives.