Why You Want to Avoid Purchased Lists

While we may not always check our spam folders, we all know what’s in them: unsolicited marketing emails from companies we’ve never heard of, and all that other junk we’d rather not go through. It’s not the place you want your marketing emails to end up. Let’s explore what purchased lists are, why you want to avoid them, and how you can ensure your emails end up right where you want them—in your customers’ primary inboxes.‍

What’s a Purchased List?

An email purchased list is simply a list of email addresses that vendors sell to businesses and individuals who in turn pay a fee. Many of these lists have hundreds to thousands of email addresses on them. You may be thinking, “More email addresses, more chances to win over customers,” and while it’s a valid thought, chances are that people on these purchased lists likely won’t become your customers.‍

Why Should I Avoid Purchased Lists?

Because you want your list to include loyal customers, purchasing customers, and customers who love your business. You won’t get that with purchased lists. Why? Because you’re sending emails to people who never asked you to send them emails. Vendors may promise list growth, but it’s more than likely a scam. People on these lists likely won’t open your emails, convert, or worse, they’ll report your emails as spam and blacklist your email address. Yikes! They could also be fake emails or a trap to get your email domain blacklisted.‍

Tip: If someone didn’t ask you to email them (by opting in), don’t add them to your email list.‍

All reputable email service providers (ESP) won’t allow you to add purchased lists into the system, which is another reason not to use them. ‍

Why Should I Grow My List Organically?‍

The most important reason: because you’ll be building a loyal customer base that wants to hear from you, whether it’s about upcoming deals, a monthly newsletter, or a holiday email. You obviously want to grow your email list, but when it comes to email marketing, it’s quality over quantity. So avoid those purchased lists!