Why Buying Email Lists is Always a Bad Idea June 07, 2021, | Posted by Guest

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When starting up a new business or trying to reach new consumers, it’s tempting to opt for quick and easy solutions. One of these temptations often comes in the form of email database purchases. A quick online search will often render links that promise thousands of subscribers and email addresses at an affordable cost. While this may seem like a sure-fire way to rapidly reach a mass audience, it’s always a bad idea. 

By purchasing these lists, a well thought-out, strategic marketing plan can be placed in serious jeopardy. Even more important, this approach lacks sustainability and can harm your company’s overall reputation. Here are some of the reasons why this seemingly easy solution should be avoided at all costs: 

Sending to customers who have not given explicit permission to receive promotions and communications is illegal in many countries. Though laws have always required most email marketers to offer opt out options for subscribers, the GDPR has made opting a two way street. Meaning that customers must opt in to lists in order for emails to be legally compliant. Purchasing emails from third parties means that the recipients on the list have not given clear permission for your company to contact them. When using an email marketing service or software, sending emails to purchase lists are strictly forbidden, with vendors only allowing those who have opted-in directly to receive emails from their server. 

Additionally, the email addresses on these lists are a study of quantity over quality. If the addresses have been purchased or scraped, these are addresses that are likely outdated, invalid, or unchecked. Additionally, the all important customer engagement and trust is not there. A customer receiving a random email from an unknown company will likely mark the email as spam, thereby damaging your company’s email deliverability and reputation. When large numbers of customers mark your messages as spam, or if your campaign results in a large number of hard bounces from invalid addresses, your spam score from your email service provider will inevitably increase. This will also affect the organic, opt-ins and quality subscribers that you have worked so hard to attain. The customers who actually wanted to receive your emails will get your messages delivered directly to their spam folder, negatively affecting open rates and overall performance. 

Lastly, you’ll affect your company’s overall reputation and brand image. By pushing your messages into people’s personal accounts, you’ll never receive customer trust and are missing out on long-term business. In today’s social media driven world, it’s very easy for angry or annoyed recipients to share negative experiences with companies and it’s best to play it as safe as possible for sustainable growth. 

Creating an organic and strong subscriber list takes time, effort, and strategy, but opting for this path will only benefit your company in the long run. 

Need guidance with your email marketing decisions? Contact Site Impact to hear how we can put together long-term solutions for your business.