Growing your email list organically is the best option, but
as many of you know, it can be a very slow process. Many marketers have chosen
to expedite that process by purchasing lists from third party vendors.
At times, however, you run into a different conundrum. You
have some data about a prospect (name, mailing address,
telephone
number etc.), but not one of the most important piece for
communication--his email address!
Email appending involves matching your internal, but
incomplete, contact information with a third party vendor’s database in order
to obtain email addresses. Here are five best practices to keep in mind when
embarking on your email-appending journey:
1. Identify all “Incomplete” Prospects
First, you should identify all prospects within your
internal customer database whose contact information does not contain an email
address. It’s important to remember that these prospects must have some type of
relationship with your company. Do not include any direct-mail prospects
purchased from third party sources that have not opted inyet[EF1] ; this could result in compliance
violations.
2. Always Ask Questions
It’s crucial to ask the right questions when choosing
your vendor so you are confident that the information you are purchasing is
what you need and that you are dealing with a reputable vendor. Some questions
to consider:
· How much does the
service cost?
· How long have they
been in business?
· What professional
associations do they belong to?
· What kind of
industry presence do they have?
· Who are their
partners and former clients? Do they seem reputable?
· Are all testimonials
on their website legitimate?
· How are their email
addresses obtained?
· What are their
average match/deliverability rates?
· Are they compliant
with all CAN SPAM regulations?
3. Compliance Counts!
The vendor should adhere to all CAN SPAM regulations.
They should also run all required suppressions including FCC Wireless Domains,
DMA’s “Do Not Email” List, and unsubscribes on your own email list. If they do
not comply with these standards, you run the risk of being blacklisted by ISPs,
meaning you will not be able to email anyone on their server.
4. OPT-IN is the only OPTION
Your vendor, not you, should provide a clear, CAN-SPAM
compliant opt-in permission message on your company’s behalf to confirm deliverability
and ensure that the contact is willing to receive further communications. This
email must also have a visible opt-out link to avoid spam charges. This will
reduce your workload and minimize bounce rates once your vendor provides you
with your new email list. Once they have done this, you can merge the email
addresses with the prospect’s other contact info. The vendor should also
provide you with a list of prospects who opted-out, so you can delete them from
your internal customer database.
Article From: pntmarketingservices.com
