Expanding Your Contact List

Your contact list is a critical tool in your marketing arsenal. Are you using it and growing it to the best of your ability? Maybe not.

There are some obvious ways to grow your contact list. Add every customer you serve, put a sign up on your home page, have a giveaway, etc.

But there are some more creative things you can do, too. You want to cultivate and engage your list, so be sure to always include valuable content when you do make a connection with them. If you provide valuable articles or tips repeatedly, chances are your open rates will be higher. It also increases the chances that people will forward your valuable information to others who may in turn sign up for your newsletter. Be sure to include links so your e-mails can easily be shared and others can quickly sign up.

Who doesn’t like a deal? Even if a special promotion isn’t the reason for your e-mail, it’s always a good idea to include a coupon on a regular basis. Something as simple as free shipping makes your readers feel as though they’re always getting something. And, even if they don’t use it all the time it will most likely keep them from removing themselves from your list.

Social media is another great way to expand your contact list. You’ve probably established numerous fans on Facebook or followers on Twitter who aren’t necessarily on your newsletter list. Use social media to put out teasers about the great things subscribers get. Or, use it to directly ask for new subscribers. This is more effective right before a mailing when they know they’ll be getting something very soon.

Lastly, make sure you find a good balance of how often to contact your list. Depending on what you’re offering, once a week might be good or it may be overkill. Surely don’t send something just to send it. Make sure it’s valuable to your readers.

Keep in mind, although it’s good to grow your contact list, quantity is not always more important than quality. You want to make sure you are interacting and corresponding with people who are genuinely interested in your business and who represent potential customers. As always, be sure to avoid anything that resembles spam!

If you're not on our mailing list, you can sign up here or to the right. ;) Our monthly newsletter includes features on mom-owned businesses, special promotions, marketing tips and much more!

Wanna Win?

In an effort to acquire more newsletter subscribers, more Facebook Fans and more blog and Twitter Followers .... we are going to have a bit of a competition.

Are you in the competitive mood yet?? All you have to do is spread the word about Market Mommy and Market Mommy:: The Blog. It's easy! You can grab our button and post it on your own blog or website, you can e-mail your friends, tell your Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers ......... any and all of the above will work.

Here's the deal. You want them to sign up for our newsletter, Fan us or Follow us or the blog and let us know that YOU sent them. There is a field on our newsletter sign-up for such a purpose, or they can message us, e-mail us or tweet us to tell us how they heard of Market Mommy. You earn one referral point for each person who does any of the above.

This contest will last for 30 days, therefore it will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 15. The person with the most referrals combined will win a great prize! What is that great prize you ask? The winner will get their choice of either a $35 gift certificate to Market Mommy {great for advertising} or a $35 gift certificate to Announcements Galore {just in time for holiday card purchasing}.

So, there you have it. Put us in your newsletters, on your blog and tell your friends! Good Luck!

Market Mommy:: The Newsletter

Good Wednesday Morning! I just wanted to pass along a couple housekeeping notes about our FREE e-newsletter :)

First, if you haven't already, you can sign up here, or to the right of this post. Our newsletter offers some great content for mom business owners. We publish AT LEAST once a month, at the end of the month. However, like in July, we had a lot of content and published a middle-of-the-month edition.

Some of the great features inside include:

• Success 101:: Stories about successful mom business owners just like yourself who have taken the plunge and created a successful business while raising a family.


• Marketing Tips:: Readers submit their favorite marketing tips for a chance to be highlighted inside the newsletter.


• Our Sponsors:: This is a way for you to learn even more about our sponsors and the sites/blogs/publications that list themselves on Market Mommy.


• A variety of coupons, advertising deals and marketing tid-bits.


• Up-do-date information about Market Mommy and our services.

Our next Market Mommy newsletter is scheduled to be published July 31!