Innovating Email List Marketing

Ah, summertime. Get-aways to the ocean, picnics, back-yard games with the kids, and sizzling summer sales. Everyone these days is looking for a bargain. Occasionally you’ll see stores advertising, “Water Damage: Everything Must Go”. Only the heartiest of consumers will wade in, looking for that diamond in the rough at a great price. But caveat emptor prevails, and at least these kinds of sales scream CAUTION to all shoppers.

Marketers are also looking for bargains these days. With daily pressures to fill the sales pipeline, wholesale lists may be tempting. Many of these lists may be packaged up nicely, but lurking below the surface are records that only the heartiest of bargain shoppers would touch. These lists seem attractive to buyers because they are a “great deal”, sold outright, on a per record basis. But the old adage holds true: you get what you pay for, and most likely with these lists, marketers will get burned. That’s why Pitfall #2 to avoid is the Wholesale Lead-Gen Approach and here’s why:

1. One Fork at a Picnic, or the multiple use of the same names. This practice is standard for many wholesale lead-gen companies, and part of why the cost per lead is so cheap. But how can you know if the leads that you are buying aren’t also landing in the hands of your competitor? And forget about managing fatigue – that’s out the window. It’s like everyone at a picnic using the same fork. Ick.
2. Mother May I?, or no permission status. Wholesale lists typically do not obtain permission from the recipient to send them third-party messages, which again drives to lower prices. But in the spirit of “you get what you pay for”, smart marketers know that permission-based lists are the best investment as your message is more likely to be well-received and acted upon. Just like the game, if you don’t ask first, you could lose.
3. Big Bounces. Because many wholesale lists aren’t permissioned, nor verified, these lists tend to have very high hard bounce rates. The data might look good, but you just don’t know until you send to it, and put not only your IPs, but your entire marketing campaign, at risk by purchasing bad data.

Still find the pull of control and ownership of the lead tempting? See the recent article “Secrets And Lies” in B2B Magazine for more.

The bottom line is this: There are great lists out there, but you have to know what to look for. Don’t be tempted to cut corners to fill your funnel. Insist on quality names with well-managed fatigue rates, and always ask for proof. Transparency rules, and data should be your guide. So as you’re headed to the beach this summer, and you see one of those “Water Damage” sales, just keep driving….Look for my next blog post for the final pitfall to avoid when looking for great lists.

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