Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Mailing Lists Search Engine -- Marketing Ideas???

Posted by Anonymous on 10/24/2006 at 2:59 PM ET 500 Points
Hello, Marketing Experts,

I am hoping you can solve a difficult marketing challenge...

We (NextMark) just re-launched our website and want to create awareness of the mailing lists search engine on our website here:

https://lists.nextmark.com

Anyone who uses direct marketing knows how important the mailing lists are to the outcome of the campaign -- whether it be postal, email, telephone, or other. The list is often cited as the single most important factor in direct marketing. After all, if you are not talking to the right people you are wasting your time and money.

However, despite its importance, most marketers don't have any good tools to find mailing lists. We are helping to solve this problem with our new mailing lists search engine. It's a free tool that enables you to search our database of more than 65,000 mailing lists: postal, email, telephone, and other. This tool is based on technology we have used for many years in our high-end list research systems for advertising agencies and list brokers. We took the search module and put it on our website.

People who have used this mailing lists search engine love it. They say things like "it's like google for mailing lists" and "I never knew there were so many good lists out there."

Our challenge...

The problem is not very many marketers know about it. How can we spread awareness among the marketing community?

One problem is nobody expects to find a mailing lists search engine so they don't bother looking. As far as I know, our website is the only one that offers such a tool.

We are also unique in we don't actually sell mailing lists. We simply help you find the best mailing lists and connect you with the vendor. More than 700 list vendors are represented in the database. It's akin to using Google to search but buying from the vendor. For example, suppose you wanted to buy a tent, you might use Google to find the best one, but you buy it from LL Bean. Likewise, this tool helps you to find the best mailing list and to get in touch with the appropriate vendor.

And since this tool is free, we don't have a huge marketing budget that can be ROI justified.

So, we have this very unique marketing tool that nobody thinks to look for. We're doing some direct mail and email, of course. We've started search engine marketing and are learning a lot the hard way. What else should we be doing? How can we create awareness?

Thank you... I REALLY appreciate your ideas!

Best Regards,
Joe
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 10/24/2006 at 3:20 PM Accepted
    Dear Joe,

    Today, the Web has real marketplace need for high quality, informative content development.”The Web is the #1 source for people who are looking to buy new products and services. That's according to Editor & Publisher Magazine in their April 2, 2006 edition.

    So, if you want marketers to know about your unique marketing tool that nobody thinks to look for -- then you need to be all over the web. The most effective, cost effective method -- is to write a 500-750 word "how to", "tips", "problem solving", or "trends" article and submit it to highly traffic, highly credible directories, websites and ezines that your audience is reading. Such publications include ChiefMarketer.com, MultiChannelMerchant.com, B2BMarketingtrends.com, CEO Refresher among many, many more. However, I do warn you although this is the most effective, most cost effective method, it is very tedious and will take away lots of time that you could be using to build your business -- so you should think about an article marketing service like the PR LEADS Article Marketing Service. You can check out the link in my profile or email me at [email address deleted by staff]

    Good Luck
    Eric Gruber
    Director of Operations
    PR LEADS Article Marketing Service
    [phone number deleted by staff]
  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 10/24/2006 at 6:22 PM Accepted
    Your site is needed and I thank you for bringing to out attention. It is now in my favorite’s folder.

    Keep doing what you just did. Get the URL on sites where marketers go. It is virtually free and the word will spread. Other than that the suggestions of Eric are right on.
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/25/2006 at 2:50 AM Accepted
    You definately need to look at your search engine optimisation, there is plenty of stuff you could do to improve your ranking. Currently for "Mailing Lists" you appear nowhere on Google!

    I would also consider (if you haven't already) a small PPC campaign.

    If you need any further help get in touch offline

    Good Luck

    Andrew
    black and white marketing
  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 10/25/2006 at 8:58 AM Accepted
    Very cool site.
    I too recommend the use of articles placed in marketing based magazines to get the word out on your site.

    I would suggest articles targeted for marketing magazines first but also branch out into magazines that cater to marketing intense businesses, such as distribution and direct sales.
  • Posted on 10/26/2006 at 1:30 AM Accepted
    Use your own mailing lists and email across to Mktg professionals in the Top 500 Mktg focussed companies. Make semi customised mailers to different industries and give them results using your search engine vs google.

    Release small print ads in Advtg & Mktg journals just advertising your url.

    The product will take care of the rest.
  • Posted on 10/26/2006 at 11:02 AM Member
    Hi Joe,

    Along with being an Internet Marketer and an Article Marketer -- I am a writer. In fact, my passion is writing. If you would like, call me at [phone number deleted by staff] and I can go over article writing and marketing more thoroughly. I'd give you a free consultation.

    Also, I am starting an Article Marketing Secrets & Breakthroughs Newsletter very shortly. Email me at [email address deleted by staff] if you'd like to subscribe.

    Eric
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/27/2006 at 12:18 PM Accepted
    Just come back to this, drop me an email as a reminder and I'll do you a small free SEO Report, I am still offering mini repiorts free via my website also.

    I think you need to get the keywords researched. "Mailing Lists" is a highly competive word (although the report will highlight basic areas for improvement).
    There are other keywords that you should optimise for too that are less competitive and hence easier to get good rankings for and will attract people ready to buy.
    (i.e. direct mailing lists, mailing lists services, consumer mailing lists, mlm mailing lists, business mailing lists,
    free mailing lists, mailing lists for sale, email mailing lists etc).

    I guess as well as this, you know if conversion is an issue, how many sales to website hits do you get? If conversion is low, then you need to look at usability and possible copywriting too.

    I agree that you need more backlinks, so a program to get more sites linking to you would be excellent.

    good Luck
  • Posted on 10/28/2006 at 4:21 AM Member
    Dear Joe,

    I think you have enough data base and email list to mail and advertise your website!!!
    You should take the advantage of all the mails you have and send a small informative Email for all the marketers of all industry in your lists and inform them of how effective your website is for them to reach their market, this way is direct, and not costly.
    Then you should be listed in the Google and Yahoo and all other search engines for mailing lists and expand your opportunity to be found by simplifying the keywords that lead to you , like mailing list , list, mailing….

    Regards
    Shouq
  • Posted on 10/28/2006 at 4:58 AM Accepted
    Dear Joe,
    also I think you should ad a simple registration data, so you can know how many people enter your website, are they increasing, what is the percentage of whom enter to whom actually buy lists, which will help you later to conduct a small study and contact all those who didn’t buy , to ask them why they didn’t buy , who they bought from ( if they bought from any one else) so you can know your competitors better and know how you are doing in comparison to them, but make sure to make the registration short and simple, only name, job and Email and password, you shouldn’t just depend on the actual sales, it will not provide you with real figures for your visitors.
    Now if it is costly to include a registration system to the website you can include a counter just to know how many visits the website and how many really buy lists or use your services, this will help you to develop your faster and notice problems on the spot.

    Regards
    Shouq Salameh
  • Posted by ReadCopy on 10/31/2006 at 2:15 AM Member
    Joe, I understand you do not want to promote individual lists, my suggestion was to promote the range using the actual search keywords that your prospects would probably use.

    Remember different keywords can be used for different pages.

    So, you have some good landing pages that could be optimised separately (i.e. "How to Choose a Mailing List Supplier" as a keyword could point to your Learn about Mailing Lists page to again increase traffic).

    If you are particulary proud of a section (i.e. consumer email addresses, then we could optimise based on that).

    IF you would like a no obligation proposal from us, then just get in touch.

    Again, good luck

    Andrew
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