Starting with just a email list

You basically just bought a list of people that didn't directly subscribe to receive any offers from you specifically. There isn't a single major email list provider I know of that will be happy with you at all if you load that list into their system and start emailing those people. When some people complain that they don't know you (and some will) you stand a very high chance of having the account shut down.

As strange as it sounds, if YOUR FRIEND took the list and loaded it up with his information, and gave you authorization to send an email through his account on his behalf, that (at least in my non-legal opinion) is "more acceptable" to the email list software companies.

That's because those people I am assuming did give HIM permission to email them. So the rules become quite a bit different. In this second instance you're almost simply acting like a marketing agent for him with 100% commission on sales. In the first instance (You take possession of the list and load it yourself with your information) it is now simply a "purchased list" and none of the email list companies allow that.

Hope this helps.

Is it targeted?
How old is it?
Does it have records or email only?
Was your friend mailing it / when was the last time?
Why did he stop mailing it. If it was truly opt-in it makes no sense to give it away.

Assuming this isn't BS you could still mail it on his behalf.

If it's a purchased list then it requires an entirely different strategy.

Hi,

They signed up for your friend's list; not yours.

I figure your friend led in with free, valuable content to get 10K subscribers. How do you think they'll like being blitzed with offers from a stranger?

If you do the blast thing, you'll will wind up in spam folders with so many unsubs, it'll make your head spin.

Advice: do not look at the list as something to blast, or, as a thing. It is not a thing. It is 10,000 human beings who want you to help them with free and premium content.

First email:

Hi, My name is Ryan Biddulph. I can help you retire to a life of island hopping through smart blogging. Email me if you have any questions. Keep an eye out for free, valuable updates along with my premium products, my 126 eBooks and premium services during future emails. Chat with ya's guys soon (I am from Northern New Jersey).

Treat them like people! Human beings!

See how personable, down to earth and human I am through my emails? Or through my blog?

This is what ya gotta be not to burn through your list quickly, because you have some trust to earn, as a stranger....stranger danger

Happy Trust Building, and Happy Prospering.

Ryan

So to reply to everyone.

Its no BS. I didn't buy the list.

A bigger picture of the story is this... I helped build this company with a friend. The email list was people that bought a service through the site. As they checked out they had an option to sign up for a newsletter. That 10K is the ones that checked the sign up box. In the course of 2 years, I think he only used that email list 4 times to send emails on. So the subscribers haven't been emailed much.

Since then he closed the business as the actual service he was selling, wasn't making money. Been about a year or so since the business was running. I left months prior to him deciding to close up. I asked him the other day, can I have the list since I built all the code and everything? He said yes. He doesn't car and isn't in this niche anymore. He still think he owns the domain the company ran under and if he does he is gonna transfer it to me.

So I feel like if I send out one email saying, Hey my name is x. I wanna help you save money because I believe everyone needs to save money....

And so on...

I'll treat them like human beings, and I'll have the unsubscribe button right under the sign up now button. That way I can filter out as much as I can of the users that might mark it as spam.

Oh and the list is names, emails, signed up date, but no record of when last emailed.

But regardless of all that, would this be doable to just reach out and then send them an affiliate offer?

Check Email List Quality, If it is updated recently you can use it.
Dont use if it is outdated!
Cheers

Is e-mail news right now?

Hi, the subscribers did not opt in directly so you may want to introduce and build relationships before you pitch, otherwise they may just unsubscribe.

Your open rate will be so low...you'll just waste your time.

I'm not just guessing it will be low, I KNOW it will be low.

There are people on this forum (lots I imagine) who have lists
who they have signed up personally who only get 5-10% open rates
and that is from people who know them!

You'll be lucky if you beat more than.05% open rates

Then you'll be lucky to get 1% of that .05% to take any kind of
action.

A list of 10,000 that you haven't built yourself is worth what you paid for it.

Try it if you must (or even can..if you can find a company that don't mind spamming)
but you have been warned.

You have basically 3 chances.

First chance: ask your friend or use his account to send to that email list a sort of "solo ad" asking to subscribe to YOUR LIST, in change of something valuable or advices, training, or just say

"if you want to still receiving content regarding automotive, you have to sign up to this page, cause the service moved and im the new owner, i want to be assured you still want to get informed"

Send to the list using amazon ses, or your friend's service to at least one month, so most of the contacts who usually opens the mail will be informed.

Second Chance:
did your friend used a domain? or a custom email like "owner@domain.com or brandname@domain.com"? Sign up to an autoresponder like getresponse or sendlane and import the list, using the same domain or the same mail.

With sendlane (and maybe with getresponse too) speak to their rapresentative, with your friend too, ask him to give his signature where he allowed you to use your email list, better say "the owner of the company has changed". It could be quite difficult but with 10k email list, it will worth

Then if you had success importing the list, send some informative mails, use maybe sendlane which allows you to send the mail at the time the contact usually opens it, and then try to sell.

The prospects have to know you better before accepting the psychological change (ALSO ask your friend to write your list about the change in your favor).

Third Chance:
import all the email list in Facebook Business account, as csv file using custom public import, and then TARGET THAT LIST on facebook, showing an ads to opt in in your new list.

Write also a post targeting that custom public you have imported: in this post talk about that shift, tag your friend on facebook to show that you are legit.

Also use that group for lookalike audience on facebook on automotive niche: so even if the strategies above won't get so much results, you still have a public more targeted to build a list.

What specifically did the company offfer?

Since the list wasn't originally yours, before you even get into strategy and tactics, I would confirm your email sending provider will allow you to import this list; they may consider it cold because they didn't opt-in to hear from you (or your company) specifically.

I would use an email sending platform that allows sending to cold contacts, such as Clickback MAIL, to ensure your emails actually make it to the inbox.

Good luck!

awi231,

This is highly discouraged in the email marketing world.

However, the only way this would work for you is if your friend gave you the website that they signed up on.

Then you send an email out to the list letting them know that you took over the site and you will be providing them with some great new content and occasionally some offers as well.

Do this any other way and this will blow up on you and get your IP blacklisted from the complaints from all the people you will be emailing without consent.

If the person who owns the list had provided value to the list and if he promotes an Affiliate Product / Or Introduce you like Solo Ads Seller do it will be more beneficial rather than sending cold marketing emails which will lead to a lot of reports and get you end up in spam with a bad reputation.

Keep in Mind if he has build the relationship with his list each email is worth on an average 1$ per month minimum

About the only thing I can recommend is a two step approach:

1) Find a list cleaner service to filter out the dead addresses.

2) Send them a one-time email explaining that you helped build the company, and acquired the company's assets, and that you would like to continue communicating with them. Tell them that you've set up a new list, and that you want a fresh start. Ask them to sign up at the new list, and maybe offer them something for "sticking with you".

Don't expect much. A 2+ year old list that was only email four times? I think helisell might have been overly optimistic on the open rate guess.