Where can I find resources about using purchased email lists?

Summary

The overwhelming consensus from both email marketing experts and official documentation is that purchasing email lists is detrimental to email marketing efforts. Purchased lists often contain outdated or inaccurate information, leading to low engagement, high bounce rates, and spam complaints. Using these lists violates anti-spam laws such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR, which can result in hefty fines and damage to sender reputation. Experts emphasize the importance of building email lists organically through permission-based methods, such as opt-in forms and lead magnets. Monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS is also crucial for maintaining deliverability. Guarantees from list vendors should be viewed skeptically, as they cannot control recipient behavior or list quality.

Key findings

  • Legal Risks: Using purchased lists violates anti-spam laws (CAN-SPAM, GDPR), leading to potential fines and legal repercussions.
  • Deliverability Problems: Purchased lists result in high bounce rates, spam complaints, and blacklisting, negatively impacting email deliverability.
  • Reputation Damage: Purchasing lists damages sender reputation, making it harder to reach subscribers' inboxes.
  • Low Engagement: Recipients on purchased lists are not genuinely interested in your brand, leading to low engagement rates and conversions.
  • Vendor Guarantees are Unreliable: Guarantees from purchased list vendors are often meaningless due to their lack of control over recipient behavior and list quality.
  • Importance of Permission: Ethical and effective email marketing relies on obtaining explicit consent from subscribers before sending emails.

Key considerations

  • Build Organically: Focus on building an email list organically through opt-in forms, lead magnets, and valuable content.
  • Comply with Laws: Ensure all email marketing activities comply with anti-spam laws such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR.
  • Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS.
  • Verify Consent: Ensure that all subscribers have given explicit consent to receive emails from your organization.
  • Avoid Guarantees: Be skeptical of guarantees offered by purchased list vendors and prioritize building a high-quality, permission-based list.
  • Email Authentication: Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability and protect your sender reputation.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

The consensus among email marketers and documentation sources is overwhelmingly against using purchased email lists. These lists often contain outdated or inaccurate information, leading to low engagement, high bounce rates, and spam complaints. Sending emails to purchased lists violates anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR, damaging sender reputation and potentially resulting in fines. Experts recommend building email lists organically through opt-in forms, lead magnets, and valuable content to ensure a permission-based and engaged audience. Monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS is crucial for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.

Key opinions

  • Low Engagement: Purchased lists typically result in low engagement rates due to the lack of relevance and interest from recipients.
  • Deliverability Issues: Using purchased lists leads to high bounce rates and spam complaints, negatively impacting email deliverability.
  • Legal Violations: Sending emails to purchased lists often violates anti-spam laws such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR, potentially resulting in fines.
  • Damaged Reputation: Purchasing lists can severely damage sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues and lower engagement rates.
  • Ineffective Targeting: Purchased lists lack proper targeting and relevance, leading to low conversion rates and wasted marketing efforts.
  • Organic Growth: Building an email list organically through opt-in forms and valuable content is a much more effective and sustainable approach.

Key considerations

  • List Quality: Evaluate the source and quality of email lists before considering purchase. Ensure the list is up-to-date and contains accurate information.
  • Compliance: Understand and comply with anti-spam laws such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR before engaging in email marketing activities.
  • Sender Reputation: Monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS to identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Engagement: Prioritize building a permission-based email list to ensure high engagement rates and better deliverability.
  • Alternatives: Explore alternative methods for growing your email list, such as offering lead magnets, creating valuable content, and using social media to drive sign-ups.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel shares ways to grow your email list organically, including offering lead magnets, creating valuable content, and using social media to drive sign-ups. These methods ensure you're reaching engaged and interested subscribers.

May 2022 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot suggests building your email list organically through opt-in forms, lead magnets, and valuable content. This ensures you're reaching people who are genuinely interested in your brand and increases engagement rates.

May 2023 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user EmailMarketingGuru shares their experience of using purchased lists, resulting in high bounce rates and spam complaints, and recommends focusing on building an organic list.

August 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that purchasing email lists can severely damage your sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues and lower engagement rates. They recommend focusing on building a permission-based list.

April 2022 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks likes the provided answer which gives multiple references, which increases social proof, and authoritative sources about why you shouldn't buy a list.

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that purchased lists often contain outdated or inaccurate information, leading to low engagement rates and deliverability issues. They also highlight that sending emails to people who haven't opted in violates anti-spam laws and can damage your sender reputation.

June 2021 - Mailchimp
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that buying email lists can lead to high bounce rates, spam complaints, and damage to your sender reputation. ISPs closely monitor sender behavior, and using purchased lists can trigger spam filters.

March 2024 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares an archived version of the 'can I use a purchased email list' webpage: <https://web.archive.org/web/20211127153154/http://caniuseapurchasedemaillist.com/>

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Constant Contact emphasizes the importance of permission-based email marketing, highlighting that sending emails to recipients who have opted in leads to higher engagement rates and better deliverability.

August 2023 - Constant Contact
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum user123 recounts the low conversion rates they experienced with purchased lists, highlighting the lack of targeting and relevance as major factors.

September 2021 - Email Marketing Forum

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

Experts across different platforms caution against using purchased email lists. Resources share information highlighting the legal ramifications under CAN-SPAM, the worthlessness of vendor guarantees, and the importance of permission-based email marketing. They universally agree that building lists organically and adhering to best practices ensures better results and compliance.

Key opinions

  • Legality: Harvesting email addresses or using automated means to collect them for unsolicited commercial emails is illegal under CAN-SPAM.
  • Worthless Guarantees: Guarantees from purchased list vendors are unreliable due to their lack of control over recipient behavior and list quality.
  • Best Practice: Sending emails only to those who have explicitly granted permission is crucial for effective and ethical email marketing.

Key considerations

  • Legal Compliance: Ensure all email marketing activities adhere to CAN-SPAM and other relevant regulations.
  • Vendor Trust: Exercise skepticism towards guarantees offered by purchased list vendors.
  • Permission-Based: Prioritize obtaining explicit consent from recipients before sending any marketing emails.
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that under the CAN-SPAM act it is illegal to harvest email addresses or use automated means to register for multiple email accounts for the purpose of sending unsolicited commercial email.

January 2025 - Spamresource.com
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares a similar resource to the original Mailchimp page about purchased email lists: <https://www.shouldiuseapurchasedemaillist.com>

December 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Wordtothewise.com explains that any 'guarantee' provided by a list vendor can be viewed with suspicion, as they are often meaningless given the lack of control the vendor has over recipient behavior, spam traps, and list quality over time.

November 2021 - Wordtothewise.com
Expert view

Expert from Wordtothewise.com shares the best practices around email marketing which include only sending to people who have granted permission to receive emails from you.

September 2021 - Wordtothewise.com

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Documentation from various sources consistently advises against using purchased email lists due to legal and deliverability issues. Violations of CAN-SPAM and GDPR can result in fines, while Spamhaus warns of IP blacklisting. Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS highlight the negative impact on sender reputation and deliverability, emphasizing the importance of monitoring these metrics.

Key findings

  • Legal Risks: Using purchased lists violates CAN-SPAM and GDPR, leading to potential fines from the FTC and other regulatory bodies.
  • IP Blacklisting: Sending unsolicited emails from purchased lists can result in your IP address being blacklisted by Spamhaus, hindering legitimate email delivery.
  • Reputation Damage: Purchased lists negatively impact sender reputation, as indicated by Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, increasing the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
  • Consent Requirements: GDPR mandates explicit consent for email marketing, making purchased lists non-compliant due to the lack of recipient permission.

Key considerations

  • Legal Compliance: Ensure adherence to CAN-SPAM and GDPR regulations to avoid legal repercussions.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS to monitor sender reputation and identify potential deliverability problems.
  • Permission-Based Marketing: Focus on building permission-based email lists to improve engagement and maintain a positive sender reputation.
  • Ethical Considerations: Avoid using purchased lists due to the ethical implications of sending unsolicited emails and the potential harm to recipients.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that you can monitor your sender reputation and identify any deliverability issues. Using purchased lists can negatively impact your reputation and lead to emails being marked as spam.

September 2024 - Google
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft SNDS helps you monitor the health of your IP address. Sending to purchased lists often increases spam complaints, damaging your reputation with Microsoft and impacting your ability to deliver emails.

December 2021 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from Spamhaus explains that sending unsolicited emails to purchased lists can result in your IP address being blacklisted. This prevents your emails from reaching legitimate recipients and harms your overall email marketing efforts.

July 2024 - Spamhaus
Technical article

Documentation from GDPR explains that using purchased lists can violate GDPR regulations if the recipients haven't given explicit consent to receive emails from your organization. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines.

October 2024 - GDPR
Technical article

Documentation from FTC explains that the CAN-SPAM Act requires senders to have permission to send commercial emails. Using purchased lists often violates this law, as recipients haven't given their consent. The FTC can fine businesses that violate CAN-SPAM.

January 2022 - FTC