Category Archives: Lists

Email Lists: Should You Rent or Buy?

It was only a few years ago that I would have told any client who asked (and many did) that it was never a good idea to purchase an email list, and that moreover, any list of email addresses that was available for purchase was by definition compiled through nefarious… Read More

What Response Rate Should I Expect From My Campaign?

On Focus.com, Adam asks: ““What percentage success rate do people (expect from) direct mail campaigns? We (get) 7% response rate when marketing to existing customers and 2% to new customers.” My response: It’s a cop out, I know, but there is no right answer to this question or to its… Read More

Does Renting Email Lists Make Sense Any More?

I wrote recently in this space about the resurgence of direct mail as a viable outbound component to an integrated demand generation strategy. Most of that resurgence is due to the benefits of using direct mail on its own merits, but there’s another factor: the greatly diminished effectiveness of rented… Read More

Changes to CAN-SPAM Law & Your E-Mail Reputation

David Kearney, CEO of e-mail service provider Boomerang, recently wrote a handy synopsis of recent updates to the CAN-SPAM law governing e-mail marketing. Amongst the highlights: 1. When an e-mail features more than one company (ex: a co-sponsored event), one company can be designated the “sender.” That company should be… Read More

Where Do I Buy Lists for Cold-Calling?

A client writes: “We’re considering buying a few lists for our sales team to use for cold calling (versus marketing) — what are the best sources and approach to doing this? For example, I’m interested in lists of ISPs and also, general CISO lists. Do people usually use a broker… Read More