Strategies for Building a B2B Customer Database Effectively

In contrast to the B2C segment, promoting in the B2B segment necessitates a higher level of personalization, customer-centric approach, and closer engagement with clients. Thus, having a database specific to the industry or market segment becomes a vital component for success. However, building a comprehensive database of industry companies from scratch can be a meticulous and time-consuming challenge. To discover the most effective methods for collecting a database tailored for B2B promotion, we invite you to read the blog post by Quarter Billion Agency Group.

Purchasing a pre-built database is the simplest way to obtain the required company base. However, pre-built databases often lack complete information, suffer from outdated data, or contain irregular and inconsistent data. Therefore, it is crucial to update and refine a pre-built database to ensure its accuracy and relevance. Additionally, pre-built databases may contain a vast amount of information that is irrelevant to your specific needs while lacking the necessary data you require. The specialists at Quarter Billion Agency Group are prepared to assist you in creating a customized database, as well as updating and optimizing it to align with your specific requirements.

If you choose to undertake the task of collecting a database on your own, be prepared for a significant amount of work dealing with a large volume of information. When creating a database, it is essential to consider key parameters such as the specialization of the company and its geographical location. Depending on your specific requirements, the database may include various data points about the companies. Typically, this would include country, region, company name, general information about the company (founder, size, economic indicators), contact details of the company, as well as information about the specific contact person you are targeting within that company, such as their name, position, and email address.

However, it is not necessary to overload the database with excessive information. Consider your target audience and identify the specific data that is essential for your needs. If you are creating a database of all Russian enterprises in a particular industry, you may not need to include regional specifications. Alternatively, certain data points can serve as filters for organizations to be added to the database. For example, you may require companies with a workforce of 1,000 people or a specific turnover level. By carefully selecting the relevant data, you can streamline the database and focus on the information that truly matters for your purposes.

To compile information on enterprises, it is important to consider the following sources:

1. Online and offline directories: Online directories often contain more up-to-date information, although they may be incomplete. Offline directories, printed on paper, are typically more thorough but can quickly become outdated.
2. Company websites and social media groups: Visiting the websites and social media pages of companies can provide the latest contact information. However, it may be time-consuming as many small enterprises, such as hairdressers, dentists, or small shops, may not have an online presence.
3. Online maps: Utilizing online maps like Yandex Maps or 2GIS can be helpful in finding contact details and the location of businesses. Mapmakers strive to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information. This method is particularly effective for gathering primary information about small businesses in a specific city. For more extensive data collection, using a “parser,” which is a specialized program for data extraction, may be beneficial but can involve additional costs.
4. Government agency open data: Government agencies, such as the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, regularly publish enterprise census data and other relevant statistical information. The website of the Uniform Federal Register of Information provides information on legal entities.

After compiling a list of the required enterprises and firms, the next task is to gather the contact details of the specialists within those companies who are of interest to you. Contact information can often be found on the company’s website, providing a convenient source for obtaining the necessary details. Another approach is to directly contact the company and request or clarify the contact information of the specific person you are seeking.

Obtaining contact information from organizations can be challenging as they may not always willingly share the details of the individuals you are interested in. In such cases, there are a few strategies you can employ to gather contact emails effectively.

One approach is to organize an event or a free workshop related to your industry. By requiring participants to provide their contact details for registration or participation, you can collect valuable email addresses from individuals who are genuinely interested in your offerings.

Another option is to introduce yourself as a representative of a magazine or publication that offers a free subscription. This approach can entice individuals to willingly share their contact information.

If you have the name of the person you need but require their email address, there are several approaches you can take:

1. Match the email template used by the person’s colleagues. If the colleagues in the same company follow a specific email format, such as lastname@company.com, you can use this template along with the person’s last name to derive their email address.
2. If the person you’re looking for is the owner of the company’s website, you can check the registration information of the site through Whois to potentially find their email address.
3. Utilize services like Email Address Guesser, Email Generator, or Name2Email to generate possible email address options for the person you need based on their name and other relevant information.
4. Make use of email search services available on websites like VoilaNorbert, Email Hunter, FindAnyEmail, AnyMailFinder, or Datanyze. These services can help you find email addresses associated with the person or the company they work for.
5. Employ email verification services such as Rapportive, MailTester, EmailSherlock, or Vibe to validate the authenticity of the email address you have or to gather additional information that can assist in locating the correct email address.

A carefully constructed database plays a crucial role in ensuring a successful product presentation. Various experts may provide different recommendations for compiling a database. However, it is important to prioritize the alignment of the database with your specific objectives. The specialists at Quarter Billion Agency Group are available to offer their expertise in preparing, updating, and optimizing databases to suit your specific needs.

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