Some marketers want to maximise return on investment as quickly as possible. It’s mostly because of a highly competitive industry, where clients want to see results almost immediately. As a result, shortcuts seem like the best idea, especially when you want to grow a brands database. But you’d be sorely wrong, about the shortcut of course.

Buying email lists is certainly leading you to failure, and here is why.

1.       It’s illegal to purchase lists

Point blank; in some parts of the world buying email lists is illegal. For example, the CAN-SPAM Act of the USA was signed into effect in 2003. It was a response to the growing discontent over spam emails sent from businesses, and made it illegal to sell email lists. So if selling is illegal, buying is definitely also a criminal offense.

Understandably, receiving unsolicited emails is an invasion of privacy. If you’re found guilty of purchasing and sending unsolicited emails in such instances, you can be subject to a hefty fine and even jail time. We don’t need to mention what this would do to your bottom line or, more importantly, brand’s image.

2.       No one asked for an unsolicited email

Receiving unsolicited emails is as annoying as receiving unwanted calls from telemarketers trying to sell life-insurance. It’s an absolute put-off. You’ll get no conversions but a ton of complaints and unsubscribes.

If you think this isn’t a problem, wait until someone decides to talk about you on Facebook or Twitter where outrage is commonplace. Dealing with the fallout of a viral complaint can seriously do your company in.

3.       The quality of the list is questionable

Think about it. How many other people have purchased the same list you’re buying? The answer is countless. And, as it’s bought over again, and used to send google-knows-what, its value drops considerably. This is because, for one, no one is regulating the quality of the content being sent, and its broadcast frequency.

4.       Your email campaign can be indefinitely ruined

Email clients don’t appreciate spam. What’s more, there are organisations that seek out spammers, using honeypots and spam traps. All of this counts against your purchased list. This is because you have no idea how overused those email addresses are, or whether they’ve been scrubbed to identify those that bounce.

If you’re identified as a spammer, your deliverability can drop considerably. Unlike a Google search penalty, coming back from an email penalty is highly unlikely.

So what are you to do?

This leaves you with one solid option. First and foremost you should grow your own list, which we’ve covered in a blog we previously published. Renting a database from a reputable agency can help you generate a considerable amount of subscribers. It would give you a boost. However, you need to work with an agency that has grown their own confirmed opt-in email data according to best practice law.

Such agencies don’t purchase data themselves, but cultivate it through a series of strategies that ensure it stays healthy and receptive to messages.