So what are the components of a great marketing database? It must be able to store your customers name, email address and mailing address. By this definition an Excel spreadsheet or MS Outlook would work well but there is more! A good database will allow you to market more effectively because of the additional functionality it contains.

No one likes to do data entry; so setting up a web form that will allow your users to add themselves to your marketing database is the perfect answer! These web forms will allow your database to start an auto-responder campaign, sending out messages to your users over period of time without any effort on your part.

A major feature of using a database is the effective way that it allows you to integrate your clients names into the conversation. You can start your message (via email or direct mail) with Dear Client Name instead of a generic, To Whom It May Concern or Dear Friends. This personalization will allow you to speak DIRECTLY to one person, rather than sending out a message to stray and random recipients.

A great database takes a commitment ” a commitment to adding new people to it regularly! It is VERY easy to find new people to add, you dont have to look any further than your church group or your professional associations or your friends and family. You can easily add five people per day, gaining you well over a thousand people by this time next year.

Databases are GREAT for sending email messages to! They are simple to set up and integrate with your clients names and even product type or service. A good marketer with multiple client types will be able to send targeted messages to anyone within their database with just a few clicks of a mouse. That having been said, make sure not to send too many messages or you will burn out your mailing list. I have found two per month to be a realistic number.

Too many people ONLY use their database as a mailing list, but that is not such a bad thing overall. If you can afford to send out a direct mail piece to your entire database twice a month, you can expect a good return on your investment within the first few months. If you cannot send multiple messages out, consider using email or phone calls as it typically takes a number of tries before you will see results.

Autoresponders or drip marketing is another way to communicate with your database. This involves sending out a series of messages over time to your new clients or prospects, telling them about aspects of your business or service. Instead of yelling at them about your business, you tell them about it gradually through a series emails sent once a week or even every few days. Two great services for autoresponders are AWeber and Constant Contact, both of which supply a great service at an affordable price.

There is nothing worse that you can do to your database than send out unrelated messages from your core business or service. Make sure that you NEVER sell your list to anyone or talk about a product or service totally unrelated to your product. I have frequently seen marketers send advertisements out that were not a part of their product or service line and their unsubscribes went through the roof.