Why You Should NOT Buy Email Lists

For those of you still marketing likes it's 1999, listen to why you should NOT buy email lists and continue to send out unsolicited junk.  With Jim Obermayer from the Sales Lead Management Assn interviewing Jeanne Hopkins, current Exec VP and CMO at Ipswitch (and former VP of Marketing for HUBSPOT, one of the top marketing platforms around). On our recent show SLMA RADIO.When asked if she still buys email lists, Jeanne says "oh, gosh no." Why? Cause they just don't work. Who opens unsolicited junk, particularly with the threat that it might contain a virus?  That's the number one way someone plants a bug on your computer by getting you to open an email from someone you don't know.  Second, no email marketing platform will even allow you to add a list anymore that you bought from someone else. In fact, they'll kick you off if you try. Why?  Cause with all the CAN-SPAM rulessigned into law in 2003, sending out unsolicited stuff is the fastest way to getting "blacklisted" by all the email providers like Google, etc.  "You WILL get blacklisted" if you try it," says Jeanne, "and you WILL spend considerable time trying to get off that list"...and not getting the rest of your email permanently placed in everyone's "spam folder".But people still believe in unicorns and silver bullets, admits Jeanne. "Particularly sales people," says Jeanne, "who still believe you can send anything, any time to anyone you want"...without them "opting in" first and giving you permission to send them something thru email.  "Those days are gone" conclude Jim and Jeanne.