For B2B Leads, You Get What You Pay For November 27, 2019, | Posted by erin

A recent study conducted by the Chief Marketing Officer Council discovered that B2B brands are suffering from a glut of worthless leads, supplied by low cost, commodity list providers. B2B brands are obviously interested in getting more bang for their buck, and the result has been a veritable sea of unverified, low quality prospects that the brands then have to filter, clean up, and qualify. Site Impact knows that email marketing efforts are just as vital for B2B as they are to B2C, and we’re doing our part in the industry to set a standard; the new study indicates, however, that not everyone is so scrupulous.

Too good to be true

The saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” exists for a reason. In general, you can get cheap leads, or quality leads--but not cheap, quality leads. And yet that is what many offshore list providers are offering. It can be tempting to believe that you’re getting a deal when it comes to a list purchase that costs less than you anticipated, but generally speaking those lists are full of unqualified, unverified leads that are just going to cause you more grief than opportunity--leading to the fall of your reputation as a sender, making you waste time trying to chase down people who won’t ever convert, etc. B2B brands need to keep aware and pay attention to key issues when buying or leasing lists, in order to get the most for their money.

What to look for in a list

When it comes to buying or leasing lists, there are a few specific things you need to be on guard for and ask about, that will give you a much better idea of the quality of the leads you’re about to pay for. By looking out for some red flags, you can save yourself a lot of grief and know that it’s better to walk away from the deal. Some specific red flags to look at:

●      Unclear unsubscribe procedures by the person collecting the data

●      Lack of demonstrated knowledge of and comfort with GDPR requirements

●      Vague or no answers regarding how record removals are done

●      Unclear provenance of signups/lack of willingness to disclose source of the data

Of course, there are positive traits--green flags--to be on the lookout for as well, to give you peace of mind when it comes to spending your money.

●      Proactive about giving details on methods for data gathering and storage

●      Willing and open to discuss their procedures for subscription/unsub

●      Able to provide information on list hygiene and how often they perform the necessary culls

●      Open about where the data comes from

When it comes to buying lists and leads, it can be tempting to go for a lower price point--but as the CMO Council report illustrates, that impulse can cause you more grief than good. By digging in a little bit deeper, asking questions, and looking out for the red and green flags that indicate how legitimate a company’s data is likely to be, you can really go a long way towards making sure your leads are the best possible quality. Contact Site Impact to hear how we manage our data to the highest standard.