The following is an excerpt from IMPACT’s popular ebook, “The Fast Track to Powerful Emails.” For more expert tips on optimizing your email marketing list, be sure to check out the full ebook. 

When you begin to start building up an email list, it may be hard to tell who’s who and what they may want from you. It’s best to place people on your mailing list into three distinct categories:

  • Those who love you
  • Those who like you
  • Those who are “just there”

On each of these lists are there is a potential to sell your products to all of them, but it’s even more important to try and segment each person into specific lists so you can determine just where they are in the sales funnel and how ready they are to buy – that is, if they’re going to be ready to buy at all.

Looking to generate more leads and profit from an email marketing campaign? Contact IMPACT and learn how we can help you get started!

Creating your Email Marketing List

So… how do you identify who loves you, who needs to be nurtured and who will never care about you and your products? Get your analytical software up and running and look for the following stats:

  • Those who love you will open up more than 80% of your emails. They actually care about what you have to say and they will, at the very least, skim your email for info.
  • They frequently read, click, or buy from you. People who love you or who are loyal to your brand will click on your email offers, read articles, watch videos and pur- chase more than your every-day customer. Those who do these things at a moderate level can be put on your “like” email segment list, but those who do this a lot should be on the “love” email segment list.
  • They share or forward your email. People who love you will share your information with others.
  • They’re on your social media sites. With HubSpot marketing tools you will be able to see each of your leads’ social media sites, and you will be able to tell if they are a “friend”, “fan” or “follower” of yours or not.
  • They recommend you. You’ll be able to see this through your own social media analytical tools and searches.

From a lead nurturing perspective, the group that you want to be focused on the most will be living in the “like” zone. You already have the sales and brand loyalty from the “loves”, and you know that the “don’t cares” are probably not worth you time. It’s those who open some of your emails and who have clicked through them more than once or twice and visited your website before who are going to be worth most of your efforts. Depending on where they have visited on your site, as well as a number of other qualifying factors, will then help you further tailor your lead nurturing email campaign.

Tips on Qualifying Sales Leads

Consider where the lead came from. Someone who finds you randomly in a phone book won’t probably be as good of a lead as someone who went to a tradeshow, or someone who has visited your website once or twice. Find out where the lead came from and decide how hot the lead is starting from there.

Enter your lead into a customer management software program that will help keep the leads organized.

Categorize new leads based on how they respond to emails that you send (this can easily be done with CRM software). If any customer indicates that they are interested in making a purchase in the next 6 months, they become a “priority” lead.

Other qualifiers for good, prospective leads include: customers who may need your services or products in the next 1-2 years; customers who have asked a representative to stay in touch with them; and customers who have indicated some interest in what your company has to offer.

Continue reading the full ebook…

Interested in learning more about creating a more profitable email marketing campaign? Give us a call at IMPACT and learn how we can get you started!