Why You Should Never Buy an Email List

Email is an often underrated, yet very powerful marketing tool for increasing brand awareness and driving customer engagement.

No shortcuts to success. In order for this phrase to be the cliché that it has become, it has to contain a kernel of truth. And in the instance of email marketing, that cliché becomes glaringly obvious.

Email is an often underrated, yet very powerful marketing tool for increasing brand awareness and driving customer engagement. Brands are aware of this, and eager to succeed quickly. Sellers of email lists are, in turn, aware of the brands’ eagerness, and market their “asset” accordingly. 

Don’t bite the bait. Here’s why:

1.     The quality of these lists is often unverified.

As it is with any market, the seller desires to sell the most by offering the least. This means that list containing tens of thousands of names (which honestly, no one has checked individually), more often than not, has incomplete or missing data. Furthermore, even the correct data is frequently out-of-date. 

2.     There are legal consequences. 

Considering the fact that you’re not aware of each individual email you have acquired through the process of email purchasing, you definitely are not aware of the legality of its primary acquisition. Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM) was enacted to aid consumers who were, amongst other things, receiving ridiculous amount of spam emails despite their objections. Think about it, are you the only one contacting that consumer? Each violation of the CAN-SPAM results in a $43,530 penalty. Each. One. 

3.     Your own email provider may ban your account.

Providers are deemed responsible for monitoring their users, and making sure they understand the laws and regulations put in place to protect consumers. If these terms are violated on your end, the provider can and will ban your account from sending anymore emails.

 4.     You’re possibly ruining your reputation as a brand.

This is pretty self-explanatory. If you receive unexpected and unsolicited emails from a brand numerous times a week – what sort of emotion are you connecting to that said company?

5.     Best lists are organically grown.

Ugh. Why does everything good have to come the hard way? Because the most stable relationships are built on deepest foundations. Letting your quality and creative engagement, no matter the size of the audience, speak for themselves will always be the best tool for growing your email list. The emails you actually open and don’t scoff at, are usually the ones you desired in the first place. 

Image Credit: @TheRetreatMiami