A purchased email list looks like a shortcut: thousands of contacts for a small price. In practice, buying an email list tends to cost you far more than it saves.

What goes wrong with bought email lists

  • Spam complaints. People who never asked to hear from you will report you, and complaints damage your sender reputation.
  • Bounces and spam traps. Old or scraped lists are full of dead addresses and addresses set up specifically to catch senders who didn't earn permission.
  • Legal and consent risk. Many places have rules about who you can email and how you must collect consent, including GDPR and CAN-SPAM. This is general information, not legal advice, so check the rules where you operate.
  • Poor results. Even when the emails arrive, people who don't know you rarely buy.

7 ways to build your list the right way

  1. Offer a useful freebie in exchange for an email address.
  2. Add signup forms to your website, social profiles, and checkout.
  3. Ask your existing customers to join.
  4. Run a giveaway or webinar with a clear email signup.
  5. Collaborate with someone who has a similar audience.
  6. Make it obvious what people will receive and how often.
  7. Welcome new subscribers right away so they remember why they joined.

Next steps

A list built slowly from people who raised their hands is worth more than a huge list of strangers. You can import your own customer list into Zaap Mail and start with people who already know you.