What to Look for in a List Management Company

Attention all Advertisers! By advertisers, I mean anyone who owns an internet property that sells a product, service, or creates leads online. How many of you have multiple revenue streams other than what sales are made through your web site? Today I am going to walk you through one of the largest and quickest ways to add another source of revenue to your business model with not a lot of work involved.

On a daily basis, there are advertisers in our industry who are generating sales/leads. While the lead can come in many different shapes and sizes, there is one common factor that will exist across the board.  Every lead, whether it be a sale, email submit, business opportunity, free trial, etc., generates data.  The wonderful part is that, while you may have gotten your sale and the revenue that comes with it, and consider that a success, there is also another opportunity that exists – the monetization of the data that you generated. 

Most have heard of list management and are familiar with the term, and maybe even have an idea as to how it works.  Some may even be involved in it now. For those that are not working in list management, or are interested in finding a list management partner, there are going to be some things that you will definitely want to look for. While none of these items will guarantee you 100% success, they will definitely increase your chances.

The first thing you will want to look for is a company that is involved in other outside organizations. You want companies that are active in the space, and are constantly looking to increase their reach and help promote the longevity of this market. Such organizations that you could look for them to be involved in, are (but not limited to) DMA, American Marketing Association, Email Experience Council, etc.

Secondly, you want to make sure the company that is handling your list management is able to inbox all domains. Usually this will mean that the list management company you are working with is a company that is specialized. They take the list that is coming in from you and segment it out to the proper party that is able to achieve 100% deliverability to that domain. When you get to this area of discussion, there will also be a couple of key factors that you will want to ask about:

1. Are they able to inbox all domains?

2. Are they White listed, and for what domains?

3. What procedures are in place to double opt-in your list?

4. Are they a company that allows transparency? You also want to be able to have access to see how your list is being mailed.

5. How many times are they mailing to your list in a specified period of time? i.e. – Once a day, etc.

Finally, you will want to research the company that you are looking for to handle your list management. Ask yourself, is this a company that is established? What is their reputation in the industry? Additionally, what kind of success has been seen in being list management partners with them? Sometimes the best information you can get is from others that have worked with them in the past.

Your due diligence in all of these areas will help ensure that the company you are entrusting to handle your list is one that will be able to not only give you an additional source of revenue, but also promote the life span of your customers, and ensure that your branding is promoted in the proper way.

Many advertisers that have participated in list management in the past have been amazed at how much this extra revenue each month allows them to re-invest and scale other areas of their business more quickly.