The Hidden Value of Public Emails: How to Tap into this Goldmine

You've probably stumbled upon a bunch of public email addresses like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook in your signups or leads. It's tempting to dismiss these addresses, thinking they have no real value. But wait! This assumption could cost you golden opportunities. We'll show you why tossing public emails aside is a big mistake and how to unlock their surprising potential.

Why You Should Bother with These Leads​

Going after leads with public email addresses can be a game-changer. Believe it or not, we have seen 7-figure deals where most users in a team had gmail.com addresses. By tapping into this overlooked market, you're setting yourself up for success and increasing your chances of landing amazing deals that others might miss.

Meet the People Behind Public Emails​

The Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs​

Guess what? Many small business owners and entrepreneurs use public email addresses for work. How many times have you seen a small business with businessname@gmail.com on their business card, car or ad?

The Freelancers and Independent Contractors​

The gig economy is booming, and freelancers and independent contractors make up a big chunk of the workforce. Lots of these professionals use public email addresses for business. Plus, freelancers typically have extensive networks of clients and colleagues. Engaging with them can lead to lasting relationships and a steady flow of referrals.

Corporate Employees Rocking Personal Public Emails​

Corporate employees often find it easier to use their personal public email addresses for work either because they find it easier to use on mobile, their work has restrictive policies or for the convenience of Google, Microsoft or social logins. Sometimes their usage of a personal account may be accidental and they simply continue using that account in the future.

These users are potential champions and may be already using the tool exactly as a typical corporate domain user would.

How to Turn Public Emails into Quality Leads​

The reason public emails are ignored is they can often be a low quality signal. It can be difficult or time consuming to filter out low value users from the high value or likely-to-convert ones.

Spot Similar Product Usage to Commercial Users​

Look for public email users who show similar product usage to commercial users. By studying their in-product behaviour and patterns, you can pinpoint potential leads with real commercial intent.

For example, users who are looking at or using teams, workflow or SSO features are unlikely to be consumers.

Connect Prospects with Their Business Profiles​

Use tools and platforms that link public email addresses to their business profiles. By doing so, you can learn about the prospect's professional background, company, and role. This info will help you shape whether they may be an interesting lead.

It is important to remember that, depending on your product, users may be signing up personally and have no commercial intent. Combining this signal with the usage is a good way to gain more confidence in the leads.

Harness Upollo to Find Users with Genuine Commercial Intent​

Upollo is a powerful platform that identifies users with true commercial intent. By looking at unique signals, Upollo can determine if public email users trialling or even paying for your product are truly business/commercial users. These leads are perfect for sales and marketing to convert to a business or team plan or use as opportunities for expansion.

This data can be used in real time to prompt users in-app even as they are signing up or choosing a plan.

Public emails may seem like an unlikely source for B2B leads, but their untapped potential can lead to impressive results. By using tools like Upollo, you can uncover the underrated power of public emails to onboard more customers and expand faster within organizations.