So, your friend or colleague told you that he purchased an email list and it worked just fine for him. You look into the practice and find a lot of information about why it’s a really, really bad idea. What’s the truth?
Well, there are many truths about buying email lists, and they’re mostly all ugly. Despite your buddy’s experiences, the fact is that he was extremely lucky not to get into serious hot water with recipients, email delivery services and even the law.
Buying email lists can cause headaches that are hard to get rid of. Let’s take a closer look:
If the list is so valuable, why is someone selling it?
Good question! A list that is developed through opt-in is of great value to the company that built it. That company will tend to be careful about who they let use it. So, anyone selling an email list is likely offering a list that is not valuable.
A truly valuable email list would never be sold. The risk that the purchaser would abuse it and destroy its hard-earned value is too great. So, what you’re really buying is a list of emails that the seller can’t use and doesn’t care about. Do you think it will work for you, either?
What kind of email addresses am I getting?
Email marketers know that only relevant, targeted email addresses convert into sales. This happens because these are qualified leads, interested in your services. So, since you’re buying an email list that you didn’t build, you have no idea whether these people are even remotely interested in you or the products/services you offer.
Lists for sale are often pieced together from many sources, such as old mailing lists or websites. You don’t even know if the recipients are in your niche. These addresses could be invalid, non-existent or abandoned. Send these emails your information, and you’re likely to get a high percentage of unsubscribes, bounce-backs and complaints—a good way to get blacklisted from email delivery services.
Will the lack of permissions hurt me?
Sending emails without permission is like shooting in the dark. You’re lucky if you hit the target, and you just might hurt yourself instead. At best people will unsubscribe or delete. At worst, they will report you as spam and get you banned from sending any further emails.
Are the people on your newly-purchased list expecting emails from you? Did they ask you to send them? That would be a “no”. Sending emails without permission is the surest way to damage your reputation and credibility with potential customers because it turns you into a spammer in their eyes. It drives them away and once gone, they most likely won’t come back.
Does buying email lists work? The fact is, there are very few instances when buying a list is beneficial to the purchaser. Any success you may achieve will most likely be wiped out by the problems that an untargeted email marketing campaign causes. Just take a look at the terms of use regarding spam and permissions for email delivery services like MailChimp.
Enough said.
