I ask the question because an increasing number of people use their email accounts as a huge information dump, and if you’re not there, you may not be found. Here’s an example. I’ve been using Google’s “GMail” for all my email for well over five years now. I have nearly 10Gb of email, all instantly searchable, and I’m well aware what a great mine of data it is. If I want someone’s contact details, I could go to Google and search for the company website, but that would only give me general company information. If I know I’ve had email conversations with the person I’m looking for, it’s far better to make the same search in GMail, and instantly see the last email I had from that person. If I’m looking for a product and I recall having had an email about one in the past, it’s just as easy to find it.
So it’s important to put content in your prospects’ email inboxes as often as you can. Here’s one thing you can do today. Do you have a “contact us” form on your website? What happens when someone fills it in? Do they get a message on screen saying thanks …and that’s all? If the follow-up you subsequently make is not by email, that transaction will not have resulted in them receiving an email from you. Opportunity wasted. Your “contact us” form needs to acknowledge their request with an email! And that email needs to tell them a bit about your company, even if it’s only in the signature. Get those search terms into their inbox whenever you can.