A list to rule them all: the single list

Category: Email Marketing

The contact list is the basis of email marketing, without it is impossible to do anything. That is why is a very simple and fast resource but is also incorrect to use as a list the emails of our contacts and import them every time we want to send them. It is comfortable in the short term but doubles the information and in the long run it is very difficult to manage having multiple lists with similar users.

The source of the problem is to use a document, usually an xls, as a contact management center instead of the mass mailing tool itself and its forms as a way of linking the database and the company. If instead of allowing the subscribers themselves to update their profile data, we do it manually in that xls, we are not taking full advantage of the characteristics of email marketing: users are sovereign of their information and should be able to update or unsubscribe themselves, without us having to intervene or control the process in any way.

Another underlying reason why the list is managed improperly is when there are several departments involved in it, such as sales and marketing. If the database structure and the strategy to be followed are well conceptualized from the beginning of the project, there should not be this problem because this potential situation has been taken into account and one or more fields have been created to organize the subscribers. Thus it is not necessary neither to have several documents nor several lists, it is enough with a well constituted to which the different managers of the company can accede.

Database's fields are the key element that allows segmenting the sendings so that each user receives what he expects from us. That is why it is also the way we measure the results achieved in each sending: if we make the mistake of having several lists instead of a single, we will not be able to compare the statistics and we will not know how to improve the next campaigns. Unifying lists also serves to unify the measurements.

To create an effective email marketing list, we recommend following these simple steps:

• Collect all documents in which there are email addresses: xls from different departments, more or less updated databases, mail contacts of each worker ... with a CRM this process is much simpler.

• Identificar los campos realmente necesarios y descartar el resto: se puede hacer un envío para unificar la información de manera que se solicite solo a algunos suscriptores que actualicen su perfil con la que nos falta en la base de datos.

• Identify the fields that are really necessary and discard the rest: you can make a sending to unify the information so that only some subscribers are asked to update their profile with the information missing in the database.

• Delete or mark as obsolete the imported documents and create internal protocols to maintain a unique database. If you don't want to repeat mistakes you have to warn all involved and also the future ones.

• Make segmented sendings: a list can contain thousands of records but not all have to receive the same, on the contrary, it is imperative that the campaigns are as personal as possible.

• Always keep the data up to date: each year, it would be advisable to confirm inactive subscribers' data, perhaps offering them some incentive in exchange for them to review their profiles.

Although it may seem complicated, having a single database is easy to manage if well planned. That is why it is not necessary to be in a hurry to send email campaigns, if not to evaluate the options in the long term.

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