Why You Should NOT Buy An Email List

on March 10, 2022

Why Not Buying an Email List is Better

When you're wanting to expand your business, it's tempting to acquire an email list. What could be simpler than obtaining a pre-made list of names and email addresses?

Most business owners who are new to email marketing believe that purchasing an email list is acceptable. Building an email list from the beginning is time-consuming and difficult. This is why most firms end up purchasing an email list.

Buying email lists, on the other hand, is a bad idea. In this post, we will look at some of the reasons why purchasing an email list is detrimental to your organization.

It's Illegal to Send Emails to People Who've Not Consented to Your Emails

GDPR consent guidelines [1] specify that you must obtain consent from the owner of an email address before sending promotional/marketing emails to them.

Purchasing an email list is not expressly prohibited. GDPR regulations, on the other hand, forbid you from sending marketing/promotional emails to those who have not given you their consent.

While many nations across the world have yet to execute GDPR rules, most people consider buying an email list to be a bad business practice.

You're Spamming People With Junk Email

When you purchase an email list, you are spamming people [2]. People on your email lists would flag your communications as spam if they did not sign up for promotional emails from you.

This will result in your emails being blacklisted, thereby halting your email marketing activities. Not only that, but you'll be reported as spam, and your company name may be banned.

Many individuals also buy lists from well-known spammers, which speaks poorly of their reputation.

Reputable Email Marketing Service Providers Prohibit Sending Emails to Bought Lists

The majority of respectable email marketing service providers [3] forbid customers from sending emails to purchased lists. This is due to the fact that purchased lists frequently contain invalid and forged email addresses, resulting in email deliverability issues.

These service providers require you to utilize just opt-in email lists, which will increase your email deliverability and help you safeguard your sender reputation.

If your organization is detected gaming in violation of these agreements, most service providers may ban your company from accessing their goods and software.

Most Email Lists That Are On Sale are of Poor Quality

Most companies benefit from email lists. A business owner is unlikely to sell an email list if they believe it has worth.

Most organizations that sell email lists have low-quality lists containing inaccurate or false email addresses, making it impossible to reach out to the intended audience.

Some of these email addresses are harvested off the internet by bots, and the majority of them are incorrect or do not exist.

With a low-quality list, you will not only struggle to build your consumer base, but you will also waste your time and money.

People on a Purchased List Don't Know You

People on your purchased email list have never met you and are uninterested in your goods.

Building trust and relationships with your consumers is essential for email marketing. When you acquire an email list, you are denying individuals the opportunity to get to know you and your company.

Because people don't trust you, it will be tough for you to offer your items or services. When you send them unsolicited emails, they are likely to unsubscribe or, worse, report your messages as spam.

You Will Harm Your Email Deliverability and IP reputation

When you acquire an email list, you should expect significant bounce and unsubscribe rates. This is due to the fact that the email addresses on the list are uninterested in what you have to offer.

This will impair your email deliverability [4] and IP reputation, making it harder to reach your intended audience.

When your deliverability and IP reputation are jeopardized, it might take months, if not years, to rebuild.

Other People Are Also Using The List You Bought

When you purchase an email list, you are not the only one who will use it. Other people are also sending unsolicited emails using the same list.

Most likely, the individuals you're emailing are already frustrated by marketing emails from people they don't know.

These receivers will not react to your emails and will designate them as spam or delete them immediately.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, purchasing an email list is not a smart idea for your business. It's against the law to send unsolicited emails to people who haven't given you their permission, and most people on purchased lists aren't interested in what you have to offer. Not only that, but you'll wind up spamming people, which will impact your email deliverability and IP reputation.

It is important to correctly construct your email list in order to generate trust with your consumers and increase your chances of selling your products or services.