Good old Emil Zola must have seen a glimpse of the future when he said, ’If I cannot overwhelm you with my quality, I will overwhelm you with my quantity.’ I am not entirely sure what he meant by it but these days we see plenty of examples of people trying to impress us with their quantity, rather than quality.
2018 has seen the data debate take to centre stage through the introduction of GDPR, which was introduced to stop the unauthorised use of personal data. There was much talk about the change it would bring beforehand, but we hear very little of it now. Dare I say that not much has changed in terms of B2B e-mail in my in-box. Even so, assuming that, like me, you think that communicating to a smaller but engaged audience is better, you might want to consider how you build this database in the first place.
Let’s consider some different methods to building your database:
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Buying a data list | -Providing a solid start
-Allowing you to communicate with the right industries and decision makers |
– The data is very cold which affects the speed of conversion
-Very niche markets can be hard to identify |
| Using your own client and contact list | -Building on your existing industry knowledge
-Communications will be better received as it’s a familiar audience |
– Much of the data might be out of date
-The list may not be very strategic in terms of new and target markets -GDPR compliance is questionable |
| Using Social Media platforms to build your following | -This is potentially a very engaged audience as they have connected with you
|
-Using this data outside of the specific platform can be difficult
-Many contacts will not appreciate a direct approach |
| Using digital funnels or landing pages to attract interested parties | -As this method is based on targeting people who searched for your product or service it has the potential to provide you with highly qualified leads | -Because this method is so specific it can be very slow in terms of building a database |
Once more we have concluded that there is no one winner and no silver bullet. My advice would be to use a variety, if not all, of the above methods to communicate with your target audiences. The important thing is to create an overarching strategy which governs your marketing and lead generation system thus making it focused and tailored to your business.
This means that you have a specific process in which your funnel works, which involves several activities happening at the same time. Such a system will ensure that you are seen in front of the right audience at a volume and frequency that allows you to develop a substantial pipeline based on your new business conversion rate.
If it sounds interesting, check out our system here or give me a call to discuss your requirements.