If history has taught us anything at all, its that list marketing works. Its a numbers game. If you hit the right audience with the right offer at the right time, you will make a sale (i.e. a conversion).

This is why well-maintained, permission-based marketing list is one of the most valuable assets a small business can have. Unlike traditional advertising—where you pay to reach an audience that may or may not be interested—a targeted list allows you to speak directly to people who have already expressed interest in your small business.

Here’s why targeted lists are so powerful:

1. High Engagement – People on your list have already opted in, meaning they are more likely to open your emails and respond to your text messages than a random ad
2. Low Cost – Email and SMS marketing are significantly cheaper than running paid ads or sending out direct mail campaigns. Once you’ve built the list, sending messages costs pennies per customer
3. Repeat Business – A customer who has interacted with your small business before is much more likely to buy again than a brand-new prospect. List marketing allows you to nurture those relationships over time
4. Precise Targeting – Unlike ads that rely on algorithms, a customer list gives you full control over who sees your messages. Want to send a special offer just to past customers? With a good list, you can.
5. Longevity – Unlike social media followers (which can disappear overnight), your email and SMS lists belong to you and can be used forever (unless the Contestant opts-out); CliquePrize® never resells your data

Direct Mail: The Original List Marketing Tool

Before email and text marketing existed, businesses relied on direct mail marketing, which still works today. Companies like Sears and JCPenney built massive retail empires by mailing catalogs to customers who had previously purchased from them. They understood that repeat paying customers are the backbone of any business.

Lets revisit the history of a list-based marketing strategy:

• Step 1: Capture Addresses – Small businesses would collected physical addresses through purchases, inquiries, or sweepstakes
• Step 2: Send Targeted Offers – Customers who bought items would later be sent a catalog as a result of their purchase. Customers who bought an item would get offers for accessories for that item (i.e. upsell)
• Step 3: Follow Up – Small businesses wouldn’t just send one mailer and hope for the best. Instead, they would send multiple follow-ups over months or even years

The same principles apply to digital marketing today, but instead of mailing a catalog, you are now sending emails and text messages—faster, cheaper, and more effective.

Email and Text Marketing Only Works When The User Consents

Once you’ve built a list of Contestants through CliquePrize®, you can begin using email and SMS marketing to turn those leads into repeat paying customers. Again, the difference here between this and 3rd party lists that are bought, Contestants on CliquePrize® opt-in with their knowledge and consent. Meaning, CliquePrize® helps you create a 1st party list. There is no middle man involved.

Here’s an example of how a small business can use its list effectively:

1. A local shoe store runs a CliquePrize® giveaway offering a free pair of high priced <insert brand name> Sneakers to one lucky winner
2. The local shoe store partners with a local 5K marathon website and drives additional, incremental relevant 3rd party affiliate Publisher traffic to the promotion; this is all tracked and managed through the CliquePrize® app
3. 1000 Contestants enter the promotion which include their first and last name, email address, mobile number and zip; the Small Business (aka the Sponsor) never pays for the same record twice
4. The shoe store follows up with a “Thank You” email to all Contestants, offering them a 10% off coupon just for registering to win
5. A week later, the shoe store sends a reminder email: "Still eyeing those <insert brand name> Sneakers? Come in this weekend and show this email and we'll match any price you can find in town or online!"
6. A month later, a text message goes out: “Hey [First Name], did you hear <insert brand name> launched a new line? Respond to this text and we'll set aside a pair for you for 24 hours”
7. Engaged Contestants keep coming back, spending money every time they visit

This type of personalized follow-up keeps Contestants interested, engaged, loyal, and fulfilled by your brand's promise.

Permission-Based Marketing: A Fair Trade

Successful list marketing is based on trust. Contestants need to know they’re not just handing over their contact information for nothing. That’s why permission-based marketing is essential—it ensures that their information is secure while they opt-in to receive communication from you (the Sponsor) in exchange for something of value (i.e. the free prize).

With CliquePrize®, when a Contestant enters a giveaway, they are fully informed that they are giving permission to receive emails and text messages from the Sponsor. This is a fair and ethical trade—a chance to win something for free, in exchange for the Sponsor getting an opportunity to market to them with the option to always opt-out.

A clean, engaged list is more valuable than a large, unresponsive one.

Expanding Access With Alternative Modes of Entry (AMOE)

Some small businesses make the mistake of limiting how people can enter their giveaways. Because CliquePrize® is an iOS-based app, Android and web users need an alternative way to participate. CliquePrize® recommends this.

This is where Alternative Mode of Entry (AMOE) comes in. Small Businesses should never put up barriers to entry—instead, they should offer multiple ways to enter. Some examples include:

• A simple web form on your small business website
• A physical sign-up sheet at your small business location
• A mail-in entry option for those who prefer traditional methods

By expanding entry options, small businesses increase participation and capture more leads, ensuring that no potential customer is left out.

The Small Business Marketing For Dummies Guide

Marketing can feel overwhelming, but small business owners are not alone. CliquePrize® offers an extensive library of resources such as our Small Business Marketing Blog to help small business owners understand marketing terminology, tactics, and strategies that can turn leads into repeat paying customers.

One of the most important concepts is the Conversion Funnel, which represents the journey a potential customer takes from awareness to purchase.

CliquePrize® fills the top of the funnel by capturing leads through giveaways and other digital promotions. But capturing a lead is only the first step. That’s where HelloLeads comes in—a low-cost CRM that helps small businesses nurture those leads with follow-up emails and text messages to drive foot traffic to their location.

To refine marketing efforts further, Qualetics provides advanced data analytics, mapping conversions by zip code to help small businesses visualize which areas generate the most prospects. This allows small businesses to fine-tune their marketing budget, focusing on areas that drive real revenue.

Lets Do Some Simple Math

Here's what we know:

Scenario 1:

• Small businesses with fewer than 10 employees often spend around $500 to $1,000 per month on marketing
• Larger small businesses, with up to 50 employees, may spend between $1,000 and $2,000 or more per month on marketing

Scenario 2:

CliquePrize® Sponsors on Plan B (Giveaways) Monthly Subscription

• Spend $199/month for the Subscription
• $1000/month for the list (1000 entries into a giveaway per month as an example)
• $200-300/month on a prize (this is a prize's Approximate Retail Value as an example)

Total spend: <$1500/month

In Scenario 1, you most likely won't have a list in 1 year.

In Scenario 2, you will have a local list of 12,000 local potential customers that you can send offers to in 1 year

Which would you rather have? Which Scenario (its a numbers game) will yield a higher ROI for that spend?

Grow Your Business The Smart Way

There are no shortcuts to building a successful small business, but list marketing remains one of the most effective and affordable growth strategies. By leveraging giveaways, Small Business can run email marketing and text messaging campaigns that build real relationships with their customers and generate long-term revenue.

CliquePrize® makes this process simple and cost-effective—helping small businesses build, nurture, and grow their local customer base. If you’re ready to take your small business to the next level, start building your list today with a promotion. The best marketing strategy isn’t about spending the most—it’s about building real connections with the people who want to hear from you.

CliquePrize®*** is the iPhone Giveaways mobile app that helps Small Businesses grow by reaching, nurturing and converting local, high value prospects. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know!***