Why Permission-Based Email Lists Matter

Professional tip ~ swapping business cards at an event is not an invitation to be added to a mailing list. I know you want to grow your list, but trust me, this is not the way. Permission marketing is still very much a thing. Respect it - or risk damaging trust before a relationship even begins. Want to leave a better impression? Share something valuable and wait for them to opt in, that way, you know they actually are interested in your content and solutions. #marketingetiquette #cmoinsights #marketingblindspots

STOP ADDING PEOPLE TO YOUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER OR OTHER EMAIL MARKETING WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION! Sorry, everyone. I don't yell often. It takes quite a bit of nonsense (usually from the same person) before I reach my boiling point. But I am done with people engaging in this unethical practice. Every day I receive email newsletters and other digital marketing materials I never requested or consented to receive. And it's getting old. Sending someone your newsletter without permission can lead to legal and reputational woes. Here's why. - Many countries have anti-spam laws regulating email marketing. Violating them can result in hefty fines and other legal action (especially for repeat offenders). - Unsolicited emails damage your reputation and erode trust with your ideal customers. People who willingly opt-in to receive communications are more likely to interact with your brand. - Sending emails to people who didn't request them increases your spam rating with email servers, which can block future emails from reaching inboxes. Besides all the legal and reputational problems it causes, sending unsolicited emails is just a craptastical thing to do. Please, don't be a doody head. That's it. That's the post.

Guys, buying email addresses will wreck your email marketing. Here’s a quick story: When I first started my career in email marketing, I didn’t realize that consent was so important. An agency was curious about our thoughts on purchasing lists. We had no idea — so we said to try and monitor the results. (Wrong move) They purchased about 2,500 email addresses. Out of that total, more than 1,500 unsubscribed and an showed an extremely low number of open rate. This was before I knew about complaint rates and Google Postmaster Tools. I had no way to tell from our ESP. From the customer side, they are getting emails from a random stranger: “I’ve never signed up for this.” “Who even is this?” “Did I just receive spam/scam?” Many times, mailbox providers like Gmail and Outlook may place “pristine” spam traps within those email lists. Pristine spam traps are regular looking addresses but shouldn’t ever be sent to. This gets the providers blaring alarms and destroying your domain/IP reputation. Without consent, you are sending spam and leads to the spam folder. Spam folder means no one will see your message. What a domino effect! So, don’t buy email lists. Pls

I often get asked for an email service provider that absolutely nails deliverability. I then explain that while some ESPs do have better deliverability rates than others, maintaining good deliverability in the long run requires following best email practices such as permission marketing and list hygiene. Then, they usually drop the bombshell: their list was purchased ☢️ No reputable ESP wants such lists, especially those that pride themselves on high deliverability rates. These providers have mechanisms in place to shut down spammy campaigns within minutes. Just one spammer can seriously harm deliverability for all other senders sharing the same IP address. This is why you should send marketing emails only to opt-in contacts.