Mailing lists can be tricky; how do you make them work for you and use them to expand your client/customer base? When a small-business owner asked Ilana DeBare, a business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle this question, she got a loaded answer. Mailing lists are necessary tools for marketing your business, but they also can be problem-ridden. They often reach the wrong address or the wrong person. And even when they reach the right person, they sometimes get trashed. So how do you make them effective?
Start by asking yourself two questions, DeBare says.
•Are you using the right kind of lists? It may not be specific enough for your industry.
•Are you addressing it to the right person? You may need to do extra research to make sure.
But if your answer is yes and yes, maybe you need to follow up with an e-mail or phone call—or you can check out the mailing list services that DeBare recommends to keep your marketing on track.
