I do remember rolodexes and the importance of having the names and phone numbers of those you might want to call in one place. My mailing list is no less important to me since I threw the metal contraption in my waste basket twenty years ago.
Here is how I manage it.
I collect business cards and write on the back of them the 'lists' I want the person to be included in before handing them over to someone at Blue Shoe to enter. I also go through my emails from the prior week to see if there was anyone I need to add into the list. And, then I add them to our database myself while glancing at Grey's Anatomy reruns on the weekend.
We use Constant Contact, where Blue Shoe has maybe fifty-plus lists. Women NYC. Retail. Service. Non-Profit. Leads. Clients. VIP (yes, you are all in the VIP list - not!). Then I can send out messages through eblasts targeted to the interests of the list. No mass list mailings for us.
We live in an age where our demographics are based on common interests, not gender, income, and geography. And, because I value your time as much as my own, I try very hard to only reach out around things I think are of interest to YOU. Thus, there are many lists, and each of you might be in a number of them.
I am not always the most organized person in the world. Don't ask me to swing the camera to show you my office on a Skype call. But when it comes to lists, I realize their importance and I don't mess around.
I think lists are more important than social media. I do. I think reaching out through lists and providing entertaining, engaging, and educational information of interest to my clients is the very least I can, do and it keeps me in my client's minds consistently.
So, revisit your virtual rolodex. And, rather than looking back and trying to play catch up, start from today. You can start to build your lists this week. Make it a July/August project. We all have time in July and August.
If you don't have a Constant Contact list center and need our help, we would love to help you. If you do, make sure everyone on your team is adding to the lists. Email us and we will send you a suggested category list for your business if you like.
Then think of fabulous ideas for sending to the lists. More on that later.