It would be very helpful to have the option to add single or multiple contacts directly to a list and choose express consent at the time they are added, without requiring a file upload.

If you've ever wanted to be able to export statistics and data for lots of emails or SMSes at once, now you can! Just head over to Reporting in the left nav, then click on the Report Builder sub-tab:

You can look at your overall campaign analytics for Emails or SMSes along with contact activity by campaign (also for Emails or SMSes). Quick note: the contact activity reports are only available if you're got less than 250,000 contacts right now.

Just pick the report you'd like, tweak the date range and groupings to meet your needs, and hit Generate my report. We'll let you know via email when it's ready. You can also filter on specific campaigns if you'd like to narrow things down further.

Feel free to leave your feedback here; we hope you enjoy it!

--Kyle

It would be incredibly helpful if there was an additional audience option to select recipients more dynamically—such as typing in names or email addresses directly (similar to a standard email experience) or quickly selecting individual contacts without needing to create and manage additional lists.

Introducing this type of flexibility would streamline the process, save time, and make the platform even more user-friendly for those of us who frequently send targeted communications.

In our recent webinar, Turn Your Contact List Into Your Most Valuable Asset, Stephanie French spoke with digital marketing strategist and coach Cindy Clearwater. She shared a powerful three-part framework to stop wasting effort and start driving real results. Here are key takeaways to transform your list into a goldmine.

1. Prioritize quality over quantity

A big list isn't always a high-performing list. Build the foundation of a valuable list of quality leads who've given you explicit permission to contact them. Forget buying lists. It's the fastest way to damage your sender reputation and land in the spam folder.

Instead, focus on a "give to get" strategy:

1. Offer a compelling incentive: Provide real value in exchange for an email address. This could be a helpful guide, an exclusive ebook, an enticing discount, or entry into a contest. Think about your ideal customer's pain points and offer a solution that entices them to join your email list.

2. Create signup forms to capture new subscribers: Make it easy for people to sign up. Use a mix of popup forms, embedded forms on your website, and dedicated landing pages for your social media bios. Keep it simple: ask for a first name and email to keep things moving.

3. Capture leads everywhere: Don't just rely on your website. Use QR codes at in-person events, trade shows, and in your physical store to capture interested leads when they're most engaged.

2. Get personal with data and segmentation

Sending the same message to everyone is a recipe for unsubscribes. The key to keeping your audience engaged is delivering personalized content that speaks directly to their needs and interests. This is where collecting and finding existing data about contacts becomes essential.

• Capitalize on their clicks: Use Click Segmentation to automatically sort subscribers based on the links they click in your emails. If someone clicks to learn more about a specific product or service, you can follow up with more targeted information.

• Ask them directly: Embed simple polls in your emails to ask subscribers about their preferences, or interests to identify where they are in their customer journey. It's a quick, effective way to gather valuable data.

• Leverage your client database: Use tags and custom fields to segment your audience based on their history with you, like past purchases, donation amounts, or event attendance. This allows you to create VIP segments, nurture new customers, and tailor your messaging for maximum impact.

3. Keep it clean with proactive maintenance

Over time, people change jobs, abandon old email addresses, or lose interest. Regularly cleaning your list isn't just housekeeping; it's essential to make sure your messages actually reach the people who want to read them.

• Manage your bounces: After every campaign, check your bounce report. Fix obvious typos, investigate why emails might be blocked, and remove addresses that consistently fail.

• Avoid inactive emails: Old, dead email addresses can become 'spam traps' that ISPs use to identify senders with poor list management. Hitting these traps can get you blacklisted. Regular cleaning is your best defense.

• Win back unengaged subscribers: Identify subscribers who haven't opened your emails in a while (e.g., six months) and send them a targeted re-engagement campaign. Offer a special discount or simply ask if they still want to hear from you. If they don't respond, it's better to remove them.

By focusing on these three pillars: building a quality list, personalizing through segmentation, and cleaning up your list, you'll transform your contact list into your organization's most valuable marketing asset.

Before anyone buys from you, they have to know you, like you, and trust you. Sure, it sounds really simple and straightforward.

But most business owners are missing at least one piece of this puzzle in their marketing.

The Blueprint: Your Know, Like, and Trust Framework

1. Create content designed for reach (Reels, short-form video, searchable posts)

2. Optimize your bio to convert that first visit into a follow

3. Show up consistently so dwell time and familiarity accumulate

4. Offer an email opt-in to bring followers off the platform and into your world

5. Nurture your email list with value-first content that builds the relationship

6. Make it easy to take the next step with a clear, intentional link in bio

7. Stay visible after the sale to build loyalty and referrals

The Know, Like, and Trust framework isn’t a campaign you run once. It’s a relationship you tend over time. It’s the foundation of your strategy. Social media gets them in the door. Your email list keeps the conversation going. And consistency is what builds the trust that eventually leads to a yes.

I break this down in more detail in my latest blog post, including how it actually plays out on social media today, why dwell time matters more than likes, why your bio is doing more heavy lifting than you think, and why your link in bio is the bridge between social media and your actual sales.

Are you applying the Know, Like, and Trust framework in your marketing strategy? What can you do today to strengthen it?

ELITE Advocate | Cindy Clearwater