Can / should I buy an email list from an established reputable company?

23 replies
Hey warriors,

I launched my product a few months ago on Clickbank, and I'm stuck with it producing no revenue.

it's the old vicious circle, the affiliates will promote you if they see your numbers going up and the numbers will go up if they promote you.

I'm considering either renting or buying an email list from EXACT DATA or LIST FINDER.

As far as I know, I CANNOT email people through an email list I bought, even from a reputable company, meaning they would have to do the email blast for me.

TRUE or FALSE?

Thank you!
#buy #company #email #established #list #reputable
  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    That's false. It is perfectly legal to buy a list from a list broker and send emails to that list.

    Usually the companies do the actual email blast when you are 'renting' not buying the list. Very often a reputable broker will not give you the actual list but will send emails on your behalf and charge by the size of your target group and demographic filters.

    Often this is done using a massive list that is then segmented according to your marketing and demographic needs.

    The CAN-SPAM act governing email marketing does not restrict you from sending unsolicited emails, buying lists, etc.

    It more focuses on ensuring the content of your marketing campaign is honest and accurate.
    You clearly identify yourself.
    You have clear contact information including a physical mailing address.
    You offer recipients the option to unsubscribe from future mailings.

    https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busi...guide-business



    Edit:
    In terms of your situation and using/renting a brokered list it is much better to send that traffic to a high converting squeeze page and convert the traffic to your own prospects.

    You don't know how targeted or responsive the traffic is so sending it directly to an offer will lose much of the traffic that does not convert and buy. By getting an opt-in you start building a prospect list you can pre-sell and remarket to.
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    • Profile picture of the author Matthew Iannotti
      Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

      That's false. It is perfectly legal to buy a list from a list broker and send emails to that list.

      Usually the companies do the actual email blast when you are 'renting' not buying the list. Very often a reputable broker will not give you the actual list but will send emails on your behalf and charge by the size of your target group and demographic filters.

      Often this is done using a massive list that is then segmented according to your marketing and demographic needs.

      The CAN-SPAM act governing email marketing does not restrict you from sending unsolicited emails, buying lists, etc.

      It more focuses on ensuring the content of your marketing campaign is honest and accurate.
      You clearly identify yourself.
      You have clear contact information including a physical mailing address.
      You offer recipients the option to unsubscribe from future mailings.

      https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busi...guide-business




      Edit:
      In terms of your situation and using/renting a brokered list it is much better to send that traffic to a high converting squeeze page and convert the traffic to your own prospects.

      You don't know how targeted or responsive the traffic is so sending it directly to an offer will lose much of the traffic that does not convert and buy. By getting an opt-in you start building a prospect list you can pre-sell and remarket to.

      Finally! I log onto the forum see the same question I see every now and than but this time.....Someone posts the correct answer!
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  • Profile picture of the author IonutMunteanu
    Thank you for the info, very useful and detailed, I appreciate it. live and learn.

    regarding the squeeze page, sure, I am aware of how important getting your own leads is. But here's my problem: I did have a squeeze page, converted at about 17% (not ideal, not the worst either) and ended up costing me something like $1,1 for every email captured.

    My product is $33 after taxes. Usually, a normal conversion % for email marketing is around 1,5-2% (please correct me if I'm wrong). So I would have ended up selling 1 unit (let's be moderate) to each 100 subscribers. Which means I either have to have an amazing backend or another 1-2 products to be pitched to the same list, just to break even.

    The numbers just weren't there for me in this case, although I'm sure there's things I could have done and did not for lack of knowledge.

    any input welcomed.

    thank you, again!
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    • Profile picture of the author Rory Singh
      Originally Posted by IonutMunteanu View Post

      regarding the squeeze page, sure, I am aware of how important getting your own leads is. But here's my problem: I did have a squeeze page, converted at about 17% (not ideal, not the worst either) and ended up costing me something like $1,1 for every email captured.
      1- 17% conversions on cold traffic is good.

      2- $1.10 for one lead is good. Actually that is very good! Some traffic methods could cost you $10 per lead (and up).

      So your results lonut from a marketing perspective show good numbers.

      However, I have no idea what your product is or how valuable it may be to your leads.

      PLUS...when ever you start marketing any product, you won't always start making money 'immediately'.

      There is always a time period every marketer and entrepreneur has to go through before they start getting good results and on their way to making money.

      No matter how good the product is or whether the 'strategy' works or even if the numbers make sense...

      It takes a lot of patience and persistence in this line of work.

      You may need to do some FREE Traffic getting stuff or else you may go broke before getting enough traction.

      Hang in there and keep moving forward (tweaking as you go).
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  • Profile picture of the author Verdatti
    But Ionut,

    If you're going to spend money in buying an email list with people that never shown any interest in signing up on your website and that probably are not even interested in buying what you have for sale, why don't you simply use that money in PPC, FB Ads or banner ads and try to find real people that are currently looking for the product you're selling?

    An email list works because the people you have there visited your website and signed up to get more information or products from you. If you're emailing people that don't even know your website your success rate won't be that great.

    Just my opinion, but keep it as simple and as logic as possible, and good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author danieldesai
    I don't think you should buy an email list as these subscribers did not get on that list to hear from you, and may wonder who is this new person emailing them.

    Also, here's a seemingly obvious question you should ask:

    "If that list is responsive or has any potential to make sales from, why is it being sold instead of utilized by the current owners?"

    Regards,
    Daniel
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  • Profile picture of the author Sven300
    Excellent answers so far. I agree completely.

    Forget the idea of buying a list.

    Buy advertising or build your own list.

    Good luck.
    Signature
    I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson
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    • Profile picture of the author farichsolos
      For me, whoever that wanted to surrender their list to others by selling it is showing disrespect to their list dignity. Many times I encounter that type of seller and I would refuse it in a graceful manner.

      My simple rules govern here: if you have your own list (that you build yourself), you are free to spread your words and expression, and if you don't have one, spend some money to make your words heard by other's list.
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  • Profile picture of the author IonutMunteanu
    Thank you guys, great input, really.

    Here's the thing: I gave an acne-fighting product, an ebook. The list I thought about buying/renting are all people who signed up for acne newsletters or bought acne products online.

    So do you still believe that such a list for such a product, sending them to the sales page, would not convert, at least at 1%?


    Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author Sven300
      Some people who work in this field have told me that the lists that were sold only contained the names of those who did not buy when asked several times.

      If these lists were really good, they would not be sold at low prices. Those who possess these lists would exploit them for their own benefit.

      You seem to want to find an easy and magic way to make money online. There is no such thing. Those who make you believe such things are either crazy or fraudsters.
      Signature
      I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson
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  • Profile picture of the author publicworks
    I do not like to buy any email list from any other company. because most of the email address from that list will be old, that means the user do not use these email address any more. They changed this address already. Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by IonutMunteanu View Post

    Hey warriors,

    I launched my product a few months ago on Clickbank, and I'm stuck with it producing no revenue.
    You might want to change the product or niche that you're selling in. In what niche are you selling in? What's the site of your product? We could probably help you with suggestions that will make it sell.
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    • Profile picture of the author onSubie
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      You might want to change the product or niche that you're selling in. In what niche are you selling in? What's the site of your product? We could probably help you with suggestions that will make it sell.
      See post #9.

      He has an Acne Fighting e-book.

      The list he is thinking of using is people who have inquired about or accessed information about acne products.

      An earlier reply suggested these are prospects who opted in for information about an acne product but never purchased after multiple remarketing efforts and are now being sold for their contact info.

      I would still suggest using an opt-in to grab emails first. Then if they don't buy, have a 30 day email series promoting skin care and health while promoting the product.
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    As long as the users on the list gave permission to receive 3rd party messages, then you are fine..

    I've been monetizing purchased data for 16+ years. However, because that's what I do as a business, it's much different than your situation. I heavily monetize using free offers that have mass appeal, yet still pay well. Which is so much easier than what you want to do.

    Your starting with a single product that you want to sell and need a list that is going to work with it. That's going to be be far more difficult and why most people believe you should ever buy lists. Which in your case, it's very likely to be true. Your probably better off using the money to develop an opt-in list.
    Signature
    How to Build LARGE EMAIL LISTS on a Budget and MONETIZE Like a PRO
    20+ Years Exp . . . . . . . . . . . . Email - CPA - PPL
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  • Profile picture of the author bluejeans
    Your numbers actually look fairly decent to me, the issue is that you're focussing too closely on the front-end game (selling an ebook) rather than crafting a sequence of sales. Could you sell your guide for less and consider working with a drop-shipper to sell a particular acne prevention product perhaps (for example)? That's how I would be looking at this.
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  • Profile picture of the author shoaibcpa
    Its not the right way, you should build a website first and then working for traffic. Then you will collect legal subscriber, that was really increase your sell.
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  • Profile picture of the author IonutMunteanu
    Thank you all, I understand your points. Bottom line, not the best idea and better traffic sources out there.

    Cool!
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by danieldesai View Post

      I don't think you should buy an email list as these subscribers did not get on that list to hear from you, and may wonder who is this new person emailing them.

      Also, here's a seemingly obvious question you should ask:

      "If that list is responsive or has any potential to make sales from, why is it being sold instead of utilized by the current owners?"

      Regards,
      Daniel
      There's a difference between buying lists of worn out leads, and renting a quality list from a legitimate source. Many print magazines, for example, rent their subscriber lists for extra income.

      As the OP noted, with these lists, you never actually take possession of the list itself.

      As for your question, in many cases a responsive list of proven buyers is worth many times what a coreg or other lukewarm list will be.

      In the case of print magazines, ask yourself this...

      If my primary business is printing a publication and selling subscriptions and advertising, and I can get an extra $0.25 to $2.00 per subscriber every time I rented that list, why would I not rent out the list?

      Back to the OP...

      As Rory said, your upfront numbers aren't bad. But converting to your own email list at 1-2% would have me on antidepressants. With a decent followup series, you should be able to tack a zero on those rates.

      A $33 product on clickbank, made to your own leads (not via affiliates) would leave you ~$30 gross. At $1 per opt-in, you would only need to up your list conversions to ~4% to have a profit. Definitely doable. If you can up the conversion to 10-20%, you'll be buying as much $1/lead traffic as you can get.
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      • Profile picture of the author Sven300
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Many print magazines, for example, rent their subscriber lists for extra income.
        1) Yes but the main problem with magazines is that in general the audience is not sufficiently targeted to a particular niche. For example, if you rent a list of email subscribers from a health magazine, it will not necessarily be easy to sell these people products against acne or weight loss.

        And lists of subscribers to magazines are expensive.



        2) I have known a few people who worked for companies that sold email lists. All told me selling lists was a good deal but buying lists was a bad deal.

        And I've never met anyone who has told me that he had made money by buying lists. Obviously this does not mean that it is impossible: I do not know everyone. But I think the probability that it is a profitable operation is low.
        Signature
        I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson
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  • Profile picture of the author kickback
    I dont know if i agree with email lists. or perhaps i dont understand them fully. I think building one off of your own site and efforts is okay as long as your not spamming. But buying a email list? I dont know if i could get behind that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bluebridget
    Data is money, that is why email list is very important to any online marketer.
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  • Profile picture of the author freelancefiroz
    You may use social networking add like facebook premium advertise. It will grow your business. Cos, more than people use facebook regular and it will perfect place
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  • Profile picture of the author mypromarketer
    Nice conversation guys. Some really useful information on a good topic. Thanks to all of you for posting. I lean toward the side that says you need to send that traffic to a squeeze page and sort out the ones that are interested in your product. That way you eliminate the problem some commentators bring up about the people on the list not knowing you.
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