Communication and interaction with audiences is vital to sustainability of any brand. “The Money is In The List“ for individual brands (authors, consultants, celebrities, job-seekers, bloggers, thought-leaders, artists, etc.); as well as corporate brands.
To fully enjoy the benefits of having a list, you must first create the list.
List Rule #1: Define Your Audiences
Multiple targeted lists are far more valuable than one large general list. Communicating to collective audiences requires a high-level, general approach, as to not exclude anyone. Communication tuned-in to what is important to each segment communication is more likely to inspire engagement, sharing and action.
Segmenting your list according to shared interests or “Spheres of Influence” is vital to enabling your brand to be relevant to your audiences. There is no limit to how many segments you create. As your list matures, you will be able to craft messaging across all segments, helping every member of your list feel a connection and build loyalty to the brand over time.
Identifying individuals according to their interest allows for creation of content that is relevant to each of those segments of your audience. Targeted content, communication and personalization are proven to improve visibility in search, profile views, open rates of email, social media engagement, website visits and conversions (sales).
Bottom Line: Engaged Audiences Are Worth Their Weight in Gold!
And, whatever you do, NEVER leave the brand’s list on another company’s platform. Whether it be email addresses, demo requests, event attendees, eCommerce customers, social media fans, followers or connections: the brand MUST own its network (the list).
List Rule #2: Choose Quality Over Quantity
If you truly want to benefit from having a list, you must be committed to quality over quantity. The list cultivated through organic opt-in by each individual will be far more valuable than a purchased list. Ideally, lists should be identified by acquisition method, and then segmented according action and behavior from that point forward.
The more qualified a person is when they join the list, the more valuable that person is to the brand over time. An engaged customer (member of the list) will share their experience with their networks, expanding your reach to others like them.
List Rule #3: Use It Or Lose It
If you fail to engage members of the list, over time they may forget why they joined the list. The longer your list remains dormant, the more likely it is to degrade in quality. You’ve invested in initiating the relationship, don’t let it slip way!
Use It or Lose It. Engage audiences or risk losing them to someone else who will!
Stay in contact and add value wherever you can to delight each member enough that they will want to act, and share with their Spheres of Influence.
This can be achieved in a wide variety of methods from email, social engagement, SMS text messaging, phone contact, direct marketing, etc.
And, whatever you do, don’t lose sight of what your list cares about. Build your messaging around what connected them to your brand to enjoy maximum response and return on your investment in building your list.
How many Spheres of Influence make up your list?