What should I do with these 80000 email addresses?

[bertuseng]

I recently bought 80000 email addresses for basically next to nothing. Usually I don't buy emails like this, but I couldn't help myself.

Now the question is, what do I do with them? I don't want to spam, but I am sure there is a way that I should be able to mail to them. WHat mass email system that is free could I use to do this? Maybe I can build my existing list with these?

Could I sell these emails? How much should that be worth?

All advice on what I could do with this list of emails would be appreciated, thanks.

[Will Edwards]

Originally Posted by bertuseng

I recently bought 80000 email addresses for basically next to nothing.

Could I sell these emails? How much should that be worth?

I would say they are probably worth what you paid for them - next to nothing.

Will

[Nicola Lane]

You might want to look through this thread:

Need your advice..bought 15 million leads..

Nicola

[Michael Oksa]

Delete them and chalk it up to experience.

Selling them will only encourage someone else to spam - maybe unknowingly.

Yep, I see no other option.

Delete them, then forget they ever existed. Next time you are tempted to buy garbage e-mails, ask yourself HOW the sales letter is working its magic on you. But don't buy them.

Did I mention the best thing to do is delete them? But the second best thing to do is earse them from your hard drive.

All the best,
Michael

[alamest]

I think offer them a free thing to push in opt in and see from that 80000 people how many people opt in so you can understand how worth 80000 people was and is it worth to buy that much of lead.

I hope this might work with you... but it depends what kind of emails is that..

[TelegramSam]

You could become a Viagra agent and flood their inboxes with Viagra special offers.

I'm sure you will make loads of money...

[m_maker]

Try to offer them something useful..for example if your affiliate and your trying to promote something send it to them maybe from 80000 emails 100 of them bought what you are promoting..Then you earn some ca$$$$h

[Aitor Astobieta]

Try to pre-sell them a PDF report for $1-$2 or even one of those $7 report.

That will tell you if they are quality or not.

But you do risk sounding like a scammer, so be careful!

[Alexa Smith]

You've spent next to nothing on buying this "list", so at the moment your downside is very, very small.

The easy mistake here (because it looks superficially tempting if you know no better) is to try to "convert" it into something of value by sending them a "free offer" or whatever. These stories never have a happy ending. That's just a way of increasing your downside by investing time, effort and energy on something unproductive, leading to inevitable disappointment.

How many of those 80,000 email addresses do you think still exist? How many are "real" ones that get checked regularly? How many in-boxes would your email really reach? How many people would open them, when they've never heard of you? How many would read them? How many would take any action over them? If you try to import this "list" into an autoresponder service, all you'll be able to send them in the first instance is an opt-in request anyway. And if you don't, you'll lose your own ISP connection for spamming.

Chalk it up to experience and throw it away, before you've made any real investment into it.

[Michael Oksa]

Ignore any and all advice that suggests you do anything but throw that list away.

Your risk of being banned by your ISP is incredibly high - NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU THINK YOUR OFFER IS.

Apologies for shouting, but don't use the list, don't sell, just dump it and learn not to do it again. Deleting the list is the least expensive of the options, and it's the best thing to do.

Delete the list.

Think about it this way. These will be UNTARGETED leads. You run the risk of not having an internet connection. Even if you get 1 or 2 responses out of the 80,000, those responding are people who respond to spam. And that does not speak highly of their intelligence. In other words, they will likely be some of your most irritating customers.

But none of that matters, because you're going to delete the list, right?

All the best,
Michael

[TristanPerry]

Delete the list.

Short and sweet; no point in explaining why since it *should* be flipping obvious!

[Melodican]

I'd tell them all I was a Nigerian farmer looking to send them $100,000, all I need is their passport number, D.O.B, Address, Dependants, Sibling, Spouse, Kids...

Actually... On second thoughts !

[Simon Stanley]

Yes I have also made the mistake of buying email addresses a few years back. I blasted out to them hoping for an avalanche of sales - and guess what.....

Nothing!

I think the best thing you could do with them now you have bought them, is direct them to a squeeze offer you have to qualify them to your personal list.

[Michael Oksa]

Do not give the list to anyone, don't sell it, don't send anything to anyone on the list. If you do you are only creating problems for yourself, or are becoming part of the problem.

The fact that anyne would want the list says more about them than they may think.

Oh, the best thing bertesung can do is delete the list.

It's really not even debatable. Lists like this are trouble no matter how you look at them.

All the best,
Michael

[SolomonHuey]

Surrpised no one mentioned this yet (unless I missed it), but you will be flat out spamming that list. It's unsolicited commercial email that none of them requested from you, regardless if your offer is free or not.

Trash that list before you get into serious legal trouble and start building a real list.

Solomon Huey

[dave147]

Send them an offer immediately and see if you can track how many times you were reported for spamming but seriously, that list isn't worth it, it was probably passed around quite a bit and the people on the receiving end are probably tired of getting spammed - some will reply with a "no more mails"
request, while others will go further and report you for spamming, and when your ISP gets enough complaints, some will shut down your service without contacting you.

[Troy_Phillips]

Send a hand typed (personalized ) email to all 80,000 , one at a time .

Please let me know the results as I am thinking about doing an ebook on the best way to waste time that could be spent on real marketing strategies.

Right now I am working on the ebook "How to pluck your eyes out in three easy steps" . With the lack of competition for those keywords I may get so rich that I can't write the wasting time ebook but by the time you get finished with the 80,000 emails I should know what my time frame is .

[lp115lp]

Well, personally, I'd send them some really useful info - like a link to an existing information site where they could learn or pick-up some info on some issue of common interest to many people - take 'Skin Cancer' for instance.

I'd write a short blurb on how someone was diagnosed and went through some really bad times in treatment and THEN counter with a short blurb on how someone else found a totally different treatment which worked miracles for them!

I find a LOT of content for Emails like that on the BBC and Euronews - which most Americans don't watch or even know exist. Scientific break-throughs in healthcare appeal to most people (of a certain age ) because the conditions they treat affect so many as the population ages.

No one I know is getting any younger!

You send them some info like this (a short synopsis - not a book) in an Email along with a link to a site/page YOU control (much like a Blog) in-which you place a link to the original content.

Now, ALONG with the content you refer to (in your Email) you include ads or links to ads and commercial offers from which YOU receive commissions - but these should be pertinent to the content you enticed them with - not things like porno sites or ClickBank software on IM or Options Trading when your Email referenced Health oriented info.

Include an 'Opt-In' form on this site to collect their contact details so you can alert them to new content on the site - like the latest success in treating non-cancerous enlarged prostates.

My feeling is - everybody is willing to open an Email promising free info on a matter which pertains to their interests and Opt-In to receive more such info. And if they happen to see a few ads on the page - well then, the original Email was NOT of a 'commercial' nature even though it WAS 'unsolicited'.

[Colin Palfrey]

Actually there is one thing you can do. I was in a similar situation but with over 20,000,000 email addresses.

The only benefit you can get but it's a good one, is to import it into your email address book online and then log in to myspace/facebook etc.

Then click find friends from your address book.

[AndyBlackSEO]

I agree with the others. Binning it would be the wisest thing to do. I believe the only 'mass' emails you should ever send are those that have opted in to "your' list. By emailing this list you are contributing to the whole 'spam' problem.

It doesn't take too long to start getting those opt-ins and there is no better feeling than sending your first newsletter / email to your first couple of hundred subs and then seeing them respond by commenting on yoour blog etc.

Scrap it and focus on building your own list. It may be one of the best things you'll do.

[asupport]

If you want to get into BIG trouble, send an e-mail to all 80,000 people....

[monday1357]

Originally Posted by Michael Oksa

Do not give the list to anyone, don't sell it, don't send anything to anyone on the list. If you do you are only creating problems for yourself, or are becoming part of the problem.

The fact that anyne would want the list says more about them than they may think.

Oh, the best thing bertesung can do is delete the list.

It's really not even debatable. Lists like this are trouble no matter how you look at them.

All the best,
Michael

nice post.i tink i'l do same

[Clint]

I'd get rid of them and not waste my time.

Just how I feel , hope it helps

Clint S.

[santosm]

Originally Posted by bertuseng

Now the question is, what do I do with them?

What list??? *poof*

Originally Posted by bertuseng

I don't want to spam, but I am sure there is a way that I should be able to mail to them.

Absolutely yes there is a way. Its called spamming.

Originally Posted by bertuseng

Could I sell these emails? How much should that be worth? *

Yes you could sell them and continue to add to the problem. As for how much they are worth....zilch! and also for the next unsuspecting victim you sell them to.

Okay bertuseng, I don't know how long you have been online, but i would serioulsy reread the posts from the more experienced marketers.... only if you consider your online endeavours to be long term. Using this list in any way, except for deleting them will ensure a very shortlived im career. Basically....use them...and your gone!!

If you are fairly new to im, I can understand how having a list of 80,000 would excite you, but believe me as you get to know the ropes, within a couple of months you will be glad that you deleted the list.

Do a search in this forum on how to build your own "targeted list", "double opt-ins", etc.

Cheers Marianne

[papeter]

If you want some of them to open the email I would put 'YOUR TAX REFUND AMOUNT IS NOW AUTHORIZED AND CONFIRMED' in the subject line. Then when you've sent them off expect a knock on the door 2 days later from the boys in blue! Have a pleasant stay.

[Intrepreneur]

Here's a tactic that I would use.

Do some targeted emails that you know people might be looking for.

Is your computer slow? - Direct them to optin for slow computer stuff.

Is your fat weighing you down? - FatLoss4Idiots etc etc

Is the credit crunch affecting your income? None other than a referall to the Warrior Forum

On the other hand to save yourself those hours of work that might not be on any benifit, scrap the addresses and find a way to gather 80,000 more targeted emails, afterall the realtionship counts the most.

Mark

[Floyd Fisher]

Originally Posted by bertuseng

I recently bought 80000 email addresses for basically next to nothing. Usually I don't buy emails like this, but I couldn't help myself.

Now the question is, what do I do with them? I don't want to spam, but I am sure there is a way that I should be able to mail to them. WHat mass email system that is free could I use to do this? Maybe I can build my existing list with these?

Could I sell these emails? How much should that be worth?

All advice on what I could do with this list of emails would be appreciated, thanks.

Got a trash can handy? Now would be a good time to use it.

Seriously, all of that kind of stuff was harvested by bots and not gathered using an opt in process.

That basically means the emails are one of two things:

1. Bogus emails that will bounce faster than a rubber check
2. Spam traps that will get you reported for spam faster than you can say spam.

Either way, you're going to get your head handed to you on a platter if you use it. Too many bounces and you're flagged as spam, too many complaints and you're out of business.

Throwing it away and going to something else is the best thing you can do. Consider it a cheap education.

[James Clark]

What planet do you spend most of you time on? Never buy email addresses, period! I would not take them if you gave them to me. The best advice i could give you would be get rid of them. Build your own list!!!

Jimmy.

[tferraro11]

ya, I would chalk it up as a loss... You live and learn.

[Kim Standerline]

You are kiddin right!

Originally Posted by lp115lp

Well, personally, I'd send them some really useful info - like a link to an existing information site where they could learn or pick-up some info on some issue of common interest to many people - take 'Skin Cancer' for instance.

I'd write a short blurb on how someone was diagnosed and went through some really bad times in treatment and THEN counter with a short blurb on how someone else found a totally different treatment which worked miracles for them!

I find a LOT of content for Emails like that on the BBC and Euronews - which most Americans don't watch or even know exist. Scientific break-throughs in healthcare appeal to most people (of a certain age ) because the conditions they treat affect so many as the population ages.

No one I know is getting any younger!

You send them some info like this (a short synopsis - not a book) in an Email along with a link to a site/page YOU control (much like a Blog) in-which you place a link to the original content.

Now, ALONG with the content you refer to (in your Email) you include ads or links to ads and commercial offers from which YOU receive commissions - but these should be pertinent to the content you enticed them with - not things like porno sites or ClickBank software on IM or Options Trading when your Email referenced Health oriented info.

Include an 'Opt-In' form on this site to collect their contact details so you can alert them to new content on the site - like the latest success in treating non-cancerous enlarged prostates.

My feeling is - everybody is willing to open an Email promising free info on a matter which pertains to their interests and Opt-In to receive more such info. And if they happen to see a few ads on the page - well then, the original Email was NOT of a 'commercial' nature even though it WAS 'unsolicited'.

[mattlaclear]

You can either delete the list and chalk it up to experience or move to Nigeria and send them from there.

[ThePenMaster]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

You've spent next to nothing on buying this "list", so at the moment your downside is very, very small.

The easy mistake here (because it looks superficially tempting if you know no better) is to try to "convert" it into something of value by sending them a "free offer" or whatever. These stories never have a happy ending. That's just a way of increasing your downside by investing time, effort and energy on something unproductive, leading to inevitable disappointment.

How many of those 80,000 email addresses do you think still exist? How many are "real" ones that get checked regularly? How many in-boxes would your email really reach? How many people would open them, when they've never heard of you? How many would read them? How many would take any action over them? If you try to import this "list" into an autoresponder service, all you'll be able to send them in the first instance is an opt-in request anyway. And if you don't, you'll lose your own ISP connection for spamming.

Chalk it up to experience and throw it away, before you've made any real investment into it.

I just had to chime in here, because the young lady has such an incredibly logical point. Let it go, and learn from it.

[SpankD]

Actually you are allowed to send a list like that a initial opt-in offer to a opt-in page or a confirmation email once according to CAN-SPAM. Any more then once is spam. This is called list washing and it was what alot of companies do to co-reg lists. Don't let the chicken-littles scare you away. It's not going to send you to jail, get your internet banned or anything else as long as you learn what you are doing.

Wash it, expect about 2-5 opt-ins for the whole list and be done with it. The size of the list is really really too small to expect any major results. The cost of finding a AR to send from on a service that can get delivery and wont give you the OH_MY_GOD_YOU_SENT_BULK_EMAIL boot would make this adventure cost prohibitive.

[Steven Fullman]

If you want to hit that many people:

Use a safe-list....not a spam-list.

Steve

[Colin Palfrey]

Has nobody here done the myspace trick then?

I got many thousands of friends from this but I admit my spam list was bigger.

You just add them to your address book then tell myspace to search your address book for possible friends.

[TheMagicShow]

Threads like these are amusing! Why would anyone ever buy a list? Build your own and forget the easy way out. These folks on the list don't know you, they will complain -- your isp can become pissy as well.

Btw- that list is worth as much as monopoly money is...

[rcwilson4au]

I would use Aweber to make an email list. Aweber gives the people the opportunity to unsubscribe whenever they want, so you won't be spamming people who are not interested. And the people who are interested will stay.

[Mike Hill]

The most useful thing you can do with those email addresses
is to print them off, one per line and burn them in a camp fire.

That would probably get you more action and satisfaction than
anything else...

Mike Hill

[DASHBOY]

Hi Like most people I would scrap them, but you could send an email to them all asking them to opt in by offering them something free, but this would be time consuming as you have 8000.

Hope This Helps

Graeme

[Thaddaeus T. Hogg]

Oncet upon a time, thar was this hear bear what come wanderin into the Holler. Folks around these hear parts was tickled at the site of that there durn bear and they commenced to feedin the dadgum thang! Well sir, that bear just kept hangin around and hangin around and hangin around. That bear was smartern them folks an he shore nuff wasn't gonna go nowhere as long as he was a gettin' free vittles.

Now oncet them folks quit a feedin Mr. Bear, that ole feller lumbered off into the woods an we ain't seen hide nor hair of that feller anymore. Shore makes sence that folks ought not be a feedin the animals... but shewt fire, what do I be a knowin anyhew?

[FriendlyRob]

I think the only thing to do is to send them a link to a squeeze page and get them to legitimately double opt-in to your list.

Otherwise, I believe it will be considered spam

[angelosayson]

Would you sell your list with 80,000 quality subscribers to other people when you can be profiting from it yourself, instead?

... specially sell it for next to nothing?

Anyway, I think most online marketers experienced being on your foot in the past. So don't feel sorry. It's a lesson to be learned.

Forget about it, move on and start building a real list from now. It's not too late. Just browse this forum and you'll get tons of information about how to build a real list ethically that you can earn money from.

Don't forget thanking God for introducing you this forum, BTW.

[Teekay]

Dont waste your time on this. Do away with the list and build your own list from the sratch. If you decide to send them email, you are spamming. Count it as a bad investment and move on to do profitable things.

[terryd]

Originally Posted by FriendlyRob

I think the only thing to do is to send them a link to a squeeze page and get them to legitimately double opt-in to your list.

Otherwise, I believe it will be considered spam

Which means you have to spam them first to get them to legitimately double opt in???????

Delete the list and move on....

[steved333]

If you got it from Cody Moya's deal, be sure to follow up with where you bought it from. You get 80k for $2, then it becomes a $99 monthly fee. It caught my eye, too. Don't get trapped in that subscription. I mean, you can get some great free and cheap stuff from that guy, but this doesn't necessarily qualify. Just be sure you're reading the fine print.

These could be decent leads, but that's all they are- leads. Use a double opt-in, and send out an offer for them to confirm being alright with it. As long as they have to confirm and can opt out once they do, it isn't spam. If they don't confirm, they never hear from you again. If they do, then it's their choice. Make the most of it.

On the other hand, if you don't use a double opt-in and start sending them stuff, then you would be a total jerk because even if you give them the option of opting out, it's still a crappy way to do business.

Either way, check to make sure there isn't some sort of subscription associated with it that you're going to end up paying for. Even if you don't end up using the leads, you don't want to get screwed, either.

[nicholasb]

throw them away, it's a spam case waiting to happen

[Riz]

The email list will only be worth what you paid for it - next to nothing.

If it was worth anything why would it be sold for pennies?

Delete the list - it is not worth the SPAM complaints.

[David McKee]

I see several services such as eMarketingSolutions that claim you can by from 300K to 2 million doubly opted in emails from them (in their case the price ranges from 50 bucks to 180 bucks). Does anyone have experience with these kinds of lists? I realize building your own list is absolutely crucial, but these other lists are at least opted in and the campaigns are run from the company itself so you are somewhat shielded from having your ISP can you. What value do they have beyond that as far as the quality of the recipients?

Seems like they would have to have some value, otherwise they would quickly go out of business, but I could certainly be wrong about that.

-DTM

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by David McKee

these other lists are at least opted in

Not to you, they're not.

And you have only the word of the person selling them that they've opted in to anything or anyone. Never minded "double" opted-in.

Originally Posted by David McKee

Seems like they would have to have some value, otherwise they would quickly go out of business

You don't think that a constant stream of tens of thousands of gullible newbies all briefly "trying out internet marketing", from all over the world, is enough to sustain their virtual, low-cost presence for a while, then?

Originally Posted by David McKee

but I could certainly be wrong about that.

Indeed.

[Paul Myers]

I think a proper warning is in order here: Suggesting that he send any email to this list is endorsing spam. Period. That is an excellent way to lose your account here.

Some recommendations:

Ignore just about everything you read, here or in any other forum, that discusses CAN-SPAM. Over 90% of it is dangerously wrong, and most of the rest is just harmlessly in error.

Be very careful whose advice you take regarding the sending of bulk email of any kind. Most of the people giving it have never sent anything to a group larger than their "Friends and family forwards" list.

Do not promote or endorse any technique on this site that violates the terms of service of any site involved. Allen has been quite specific in saying that such discussions are not allowed.

If you wish to engage in such discussions, there are other sites where they will be welcome. However, unless you really know what you're talking about, jumping in with stupid advice is just going to get you banned AND laughed out. And quite possibly targeted for nasty pranks for being an idiot. Here we'll just ban you.


Paul