Lead Generation Tip: How to Maintain a Clean B2B Prospect Database

So, you've collected a decent amount of B2B prospects' email addresses? There's no denying the fact that email is a cost-effective platform on which to promote products and services. It's faster and more convenient to send promotional emails as opposed “paper” promotional material via traditional mail. As such, companies usually spend less money acquiring B2B sales leads and generating revenue through email as opposed to traditional mail. But if you want to maximize the effectiveness of email as a promotional platform, you'll want to clean up your list on a regular basis.

Reconfirm Your List

One of the first steps towards cleaning up your email list is asking recipients to reconfirm their subscription. If it's been over a year since someone subscribed to your list, perhaps they are no longer interested in receiving your material – or maybe they no longer use that email address. Regardless, you should ask recipients to reconfirm their subscription. This can dramatically boost the overall quality of your email list.

Remove Bounced Addresses

You can also clean up your email list by removing bounced addresses. There are two primary bounces: soft and hard. A soft bounce occurs from a temporary deliverability problem (e.g. a full inbox or down server). A hard bounce, on the other hand, is a permanent problem (e.g. invalid email address). Being that soft bounces are temporary, it's usually a good idea to leave those addresses in your list while removing hard bounces.

Send a 'We Miss You' Message

Hundreds of well-established businesses already use this tactic in their email marketing efforts, so why aren't you? Basically, you should send recipients a “we miss you” message if they've been unresponsive for a prolonged period. The general idea is to catch their attention and entice them to engage with your business. You can even include a special discount or promotional code, encouraging prospects to take action.

Verify Email Addresses

When was the last time you verified the email addresses in your list? Using a tool like Email Hunter, you can check and make sure those addresses are correct and accurate. Enter the prospect's email address into the tool, and it will cross-reference that address with a database of other information for authenticity verification.

These are just a few steps that business owners and marketers can take to clean up their email lists. By maintaining a clean list, you'll have an easier time generating leads and selling your product or service.

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