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I got this list from.... Is it OK to use with Campaign Monitor?

Posted by David Greiner on August 17, 2005

When putting together the design for a client's email newsletter, the last thing we usually think about is importing their list into Campaign Monitor. What we fail to realize, is that the quality of our client's list is going to have as much impact on the success of the campaign (and the perceived quality of our creative) as the design itself.

As we've stated before, a smaller permission based list is ALWAYS going to out perform a larger unsolicited list. If you or your client has an existing list you'd like to import, make sure you review the following scenarios to ensure your list is permission-based and OK to use with Campaign Monitor.

I bought my list from a broker
I bought/merged with a company that already has a subscriber list and I want to use it
A competitor of mine went out of business and I bought there list off them
I've got a list of customers who bought from me in the past
I collected a bunch of business cards at at a trade show
I've partnered with a with a company that has an existing list
I bought the list from my industry's non-profit organization

I bought a CD with millions of email addresses or bought a list from a broker. Can I use the list with Campaign Monitor?

No. Absolutely not. We've all received those unsolicited emails offering 10 million addresses for a small fee. If something's too good to be true, then it usually is.

An effective and targeted permission-based list takes time to develop and maintain. If anyone's flogging a large list for a small fee, you can almost guarantee that it was harvested or scraped from the web with absolutely no permission given from those captured. On top of this, permission is NEVER transferable, so even if every address in the list was obtained legitimately, the individual did not opt-in to hear from you.

Campaign Monitor is a 100% permission-based service, so if you try to send an email from Campaign Monitor to a purchased list on CD or otherwise, we will disable your account immediately. And trust us, they're really easy to spot.

I bought a company that has an email list of customers. Is it OK to email to this list?

The first thing you need to do is question the quality of the list. How long has it been since the list was used. Is it 100% permission based and if so how were the names collected? Has the list been given much love by removing bounced addresses and unsubscribes?

If the list passes through this quality control, the next thing you need to ensure is that your selling something similar to the company you just bought or merged with. If the target audience is the same or very similar and the contents of your email relevant to that list, then by all means get in touch with them. Having said that, we recommend the first email explains the merge/purchase, what they should expect to hear from you now and also give them the opportunity to unsubscribe from your list if it's not what they're interested in.

I bought a list of names from a competitor that went out of business. Is it okay to email them?

Permission is not transferable, so no, you cannot email those recipients. Individuals on the list do not know your company and have not given you explicit permission to get in touch with them.

I have a list of customers who have bought from me in the past. Can I email promotions to them?

You sure can. By making a purchase from you they have provided their permission implicitly. Feel free to email them. At the same time, we think it's always better to ask anyway, so why not include an opt-in checkbox as part of the checkout process.

I have email addresses from business cards that I collected at a trade show. Can I email this list?

This one depends. While some individuals who gave you their business cards may welcome your next newsletter in their inbox, some may be offended. It's always a good idea to ask for permission first.

If, when you obtained these business cards, you told the business card owner that you would be in contact, you have permission. If you did not suggest either with a sign or verbally that you would use their business card to contact them, you do not have permission.

Even if you received permission, your list should not be more than a years old because permission has an expiration date that can only be defined by the recipient. If your list is more than 1 year old and you have not made contact since you acquired their business card, you should to ask for their permission again.

I have partnered with a company that has an existing list. Can I email their list about my product or service?

Unless your partner specifically and clearly obtained permission to send promotions from other partners, you should not email this list. It may be more appropriate for the company you partnered with to include your promotion in their next email campaign. This way, you gain exposure and those who are interested in your business can sign up directly to your list.

I have a list that I bought from my industry's non-profit organization. Can I use it?

It depends. If those people on your industry's non-profit email list gave permission to receive email from industry members, then it is okay to email to them. Otherwise, we recommend that you do not. You should check the permission details before sending any campaigns to this list.

When you signed up to Campaign Monitor and agreed to our Terms of Use, you also agreed to adhere to our strict permission policy. If you have any questions about what does and doesn't constitute permission, please get in touch with us.

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