By Admin, Consumer Mailing Lists to Fit Any Budget 

Do you want to reach a lot of people? If the answer is yes, then you need to build your own mailing list.

A mailing list is also called a consumer list because the people you try to reach out to are, in fact, your customers.

Naturally, you must have a Web site, and so you are sure that the information they give you is kept private, you need to create a privacy policy.

These days, you don’t need a lawyer to draw one up for you. There are sites online that can help you generate one without paying a dime. Once this is finished, you have to post it on your Web site, so people will know that you have a privacy policy in place.

The next step is to figure out how you are going to collect the data from your customers. There are free mailing list managers you can use, or you can install a program onto your computer.

The advantage of using a free mailing list manager is that you don’t have to worry about setup and other details, since someone will be doing the work for you. If you decide to do this, make sure the provider you choose has a good reputation.

If you decide to use a program, just be sure that you have safeguards in place to ensure all your customer data is secure.

To start building your consumer list, you need to make sure that customers are able to find it by posting links on your Web site.

You can do that by automatically adding this person as part of your list the second they place an order from your Web site. Another option is to put up a pop up window, and once people click on it, they will immediately be diverted to the sign up form. To help get the ball rolling, it would be a good idea to offer a free gift to entice them to sign up.

It will take time for your mailing list to grow. In order for existing members to recommend your site to others, always put something up new, so they will always come back for more.

You can post updates; daily, weekly, or monthly. Just be sure your regular clientele are informed of this ahead of time, and that you deliver.

So, if you have a Web site and business is not doing too well, now is the best time to make a consumer list.

—Source: Consumer Mailing Lists to Fit Any Budget! July 2, 2009 (www.consumerlists.org).