Is it Worthwhile Paying for Email Marketing Lists

You've probably seen the advertising offering to provide you with millions of email addresses rather inexpensively, well, sorry to say - this is a scam. As fast as you send out your first email,you will end up labeled as a spammer.

Here is a break down for you:

30% of the addresses did not ask to receive your message. That is spam.

The remaining 70% of the address you have bought, are in fact false, have been duplicated, or created with a software program designed to do just that - create bogus email addresses.

Some people choose to rent lists from different services, but this cost can be 20 to 30 cents per email. What to do? Use the following ideas and create your own list. Remember, your main aim is to send emails to people who really want to hear what you have to say, or are interested in what it is you are selling.

Where do you find these people? It is best to start with various methods of marketing and pay attention to your web traffic. Here is a list provided by a current marketing company using email, of methods that ensure their email list is a success.

1. Your website - ask vivitors to sign your guestbook to subscribe to your newsletter, offers of free reports, or a contest and free books you have to offer. Make sure that this opportunity is prominently displayed on each page of your website.

2. Direct-Mail Marketing - Mail flyers or postcards to all prospective customers. The design of your postcards or fliers, should include the request that people visit your site and register for value information and, or giveaways.

3. Consider utilising the phone - use a telemarketing service or telemarketing agent to contact potential customers. Ask that these agents request e-mail addresses, so that offers, discounts, freebies and incentives can be sent.

4. Begin a Door-to-Door Campaign - this is an excellent opportunity for students who are off during the summer. Going door-to-door, offering discounts, freebies and incentives in exchange for the e-mail addresses.

6. Online competition - online competitions are an extremely effective way to gather e-mail addresses. The contest entry forms should require an e-mail addresses as a method to approve the entry to the competition.

7. Face-to-Face - if you operate a bricks-and-mortar store, do not forget to ask customers for their e-mail address at the check-out. This way, also, you can send surveys via e-mail and run competitions for consumers, where these specials are only on offer in return for their email address.

As you can see there is no real need to be paying for email marketing lists.