To Buy or Build a List for Email Marketing

When it comes to email marketing, you might think it’s easier and faster to buy a list, rather than take the time to build a list, so why not just go for it. Before you are too quick to take the easy way, there are some things you should be aware of that are likely going to change your mind. 

That’s just the beginning of why you should really reconsider the idea of buying a list. When you use a list you buy you risk:

#1 Irrelevant Contacts
If a prospect hasn’t ever been to your site, has never shown an interest in your products or services has never shown an interest in the resources you offer, they quite simply you are stepping into their space and interrupting them. Typically, how you land up with their email address is that they have opted in at another website, and this was likely done with the belief that their email address would be kept in confidence. When you receive their email address, you have no idea if they are interested in anything you have to offer. 

#2 Having Your Email Flagged as Spam
This can be very dangerous. If the recipients don’t recognize your company name then they will likely more your email to their spam folder. This sends a message to your email provider to filter out your email address and you could land up on a blacklist. Once you are on a blacklist it is very hard to get off of it.

#3 Your Message Gets Lost in the Clutter
You purchased the list and you certainly are not the first person or the last that will get that list. The people on that list are probably being bombarded with emails. You yourself may have experienced it – you sign up for one thing online and suddenly within the next few days, your email box is filled with emails from people you’ve never heard of. Chances are the email messages that you send out from a list you bough are going to get lost among all the other emails. The money you paid for the list will be wasted. The only one benefiting will be the person who sold you the list.

How to Build a Solid Email List
The way to build a powerful email list is through opt ins from your own website. Each lead you get from your own website is a targeted subscriber, because they came from your own page so they are familiar with what it is you have to offer. These are the types of leads that you can convert to paying customers. It might take longer to build but it’s definitely worth the wait!


