email address lists

[geordie_b]

Tweet

how would i go about getting a list of email addresses for a specific group of people, eg students

[Sammy aff]

Easy, search for .org/edu domains
Most unis have intranet set up, simply ask them for their email address book, I'm sure they will oblige

[Dynamoo]

I think Sammy_aff is pulling your leg

Put simply, you can't trust any mailing list you buy in from somewhere else. The vast majority of them are simply scraped from web pages and the like, and even ones from "reputable" companies can be contaminated with non-opt-in addresses. There's a high likelihood with any bought-in list that you'll end up being reported for spamming, and maybe lose your hosting account and ISP services.

I do use mailing lists though - I have around 8,500 newsletter subscribers in total, all of whom have gone through a double opt-in process from a link on my web sites.

If you want to target a particular group, then your best bet would be to look at AdBrite or AdSense, both of which allow you to advertise on specific sites that might be of interest to your target audience.

[Red]

Put simply, you can't trust any mailing list you buy in from somewhere else. The vast majority of them are simply scraped from web pages and the like, and even ones from "reputable" companies can be contaminated with non-opt-in addresses. There's a high likelihood with any bought-in list that you'll end up being reported for spamming, and maybe lose your hosting account and ISP services.

Any business in the UK collecting email address online has to adhere to the data protection act, therefore, these 'repuatable' companies have to ensure all their data is fully opted in (and be able to prove where and when someone opted in). It's in our best interest as a business to fully co-operate with the DMA and adhere to best practice guidelines - we wouldn't get any business otherwise!

In addition, if the list is fully opted in and clearly states within any email sent out when and where the user signed up (like best practice guidelines tell us), there should be no reporting of spam or detrimental effect to any advertiser.

I guess what I am saying it's all about the choice of list/company you use. Many of us adhere to the above and get good results for our clients.

I do agree with Dynamoo though, that building your own database can often work better, especially if you need to target very niche areas.

[Dynamoo]

I guess what I am saying it's all about the choice of list/company you use. Many of us adhere to the above and get good results for our clients.

True, of course these services tend to be more expensive than the ones offer 1 million addresses for $10.

However, I've seen many cases where leads have been bought in good faith by brokers or marketers, only to find that they are not all they're cracked up to be.

Let me give you an example - the only people I have *ever* given my work email address to was a publisher of a trade magazine on the understanding that they wouldn't resell it. To begin with, this was fine, but after a couple of years I suddenly started to get email messages from merchants on topics that could only have come from the magazine publisher. But, you see, I didn't opt in.. and in my book, that makes those messages spam. Sure, the merchants have bought the email address in good faith, but every time they send me an unsolicited message, they run the risk of being reported for spamming (i.e. sending out unsolicited bulk email). Eventually, of course, some of the people who bought the email address then re-sold it on, and eventually you end up getting viagra spam - so really any unsolicited mail can become fair game for a spam report.

I think that part of the problem is that many companies who deal in mailing lists don't track the source of each address individually, making it harder to remove bad data. Even a small amount of non-opt-in addresses can contaminate a list so that it's useful.

btw, one of my favourite spam emails of all time reads:

Hello,

before you wonder whether this is a spam message, I can assure that it is not.

I have purchased your address through an American company that provides lists for marketers. According to this company you have opted in to receive marketing emails, so I have done it legitimately. If you haven't agreed to this or have changed your mind, then I apologise in advance.

However, this message does have a purpose. I am a 30 year old student studying at [Deleted] University for the MA in [Deleted]. The
purpose for sending out this email is because I am trying to find participants between the ages of 18 and 25 to fill in an on-line survey on school experiences between the ages of 14 and 16.

That's the kind of message that gets reported to the abuse department at their ISP, web host and institution of learning, just because the sender was chronically stupid.

So, to minimise the risk you need to do your research carefully. And expect to pay a reasonable amount for good opt-in leads.

[Shine]

Depending on what your offer is you might be able to negotiate rates on a CPC or CPA basis.

CPC is often a good starting point for both sides. It shows you are confident that your offer converts, and the list owner is confident they have the right list for you.

Noone reputable actually 'sells' email lists, they send your email for you under their own brand, and you keep the names that take up the offer.