Buy vs Build: Which Is Better for Your Email List?

When people discover the power of the newsletter, they want to jump on it and "hack the system" by purchasing a list of emails. If you don’t already have an audience, but you do have some money to spend, the temptation to purchase a pre-existing list can be enticing.

Is the fast track worth it?

Let’s review the pros and cons of buying vs. building an email list, and some of the best strategies.

The Two Roads

Every new email newsletter marketer is faced with a choice: to obtain their first readers by purchasing a list, or by building one.

Which one should you choose? When two roads diverge in a forest, which path do you take?

While it may seem odd to apply poetic wisdom to email marketing, Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is one of the most frequently quoted poems for good reason.

For those who are unfamiliar, the speaker in Frost’s poem decides to take “the road less traveled,” saying that it “has made all the difference” as he reflects on his life.

The moral most draw from this poem is that taking the tougher route is more rewarding. Philosophically, this may be debatable; but when it comes to email marketing, we have to agree.

We know email marketing is the most effective of all marketing channels, but it can't be hacked. It should be built.

Buy a Targeted Mailing List (Is It A Good Idea?)

Buying an email list is generally considered a bad idea because it can harm your email marketing efforts in several ways:

First, it will lead you to low-quality leads. When you purchase an email list, you cannot know how the contacts were collected or whether they are interested in your product or service. This means that many of the people on the list may not be interested in what you have to offer, resulting in low-quality leads.

Second, you will have poor engagement. Even if some of the contacts on the list are interested in your product or service, they still need to opt-in to receive emails from you specifically.

As Seth Godin would say, they didn't give you permission to email them. This means they are less likely to engage with your emails, mark them as spam, or unsubscribe from your list.

Third, it can damage your reputation. Sending emails to a purchased list can damage your domain reputation. Many of the email addresses on the list may need to be updated or are inactive. This can result in a high bounce rate, which will negatively impact your email deliverability and result in your emails being marked as spam.

In summary, buying an email list is a bad idea because it can result in low-quality leads, poor engagement, damage to your sender reputation, and even legal issues. It's always better to focus on building an organic email list by providing valuable content and incentives to people who opt-in to receive emails from you.

Targeted Mailing List (How To Build Organically)

In May 2009, Ryan Holiday emailed a friend. "I'd been posting book recommendations on my website for the last couple of years, but what did he think of the idea of doing it as a monthly email instead?"

"It’s a bad idea," is what his friend told him. "People wouldn't be able to share the blog posts anymore. People are protective of their emails, so who would want to sign up for that?"

Holiday ignored this advice. Seven years later, his list has more than 1M subscribers.

With readers from all over the world, ranging from high school students to Fortune 500 CEOs, NFL coaches, bestselling authors, publishers, and entrepreneurs, Holiday created a successful email list by consistently providing valuable content to his audience.

Here are some steps you can take to create an email list like Ryan Holiday:

Choose an Email Service Provider

There are several email service providers available. However, if you want to avoid pitfalls, unknown charges, charges for subscribers, and lack of growth tools, choose beehiiv.

Here are why seven great newsletters, like Morning Brew, The Hustle, and others, prefer beehiiv.

Create a Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is an incentive you offer to potential subscribers in exchange for their email addresses. This could be a free e-book, a discount code, or access to an exclusive video. Make sure the lead magnet is valuable and relevant to your audience.

With beehiiv, you have access to the same growth tools that helped Morning Brew grow from a few thousand to millions of subscribers–and you can create a fantastic lead magnet

Create a Landing Page

Create a landing page that promotes your lead magnet and encourages people to sign up for your email list. Keep the page simple, visually appealing, and easy to navigate.

With beehiiv, you can have your own landing page, layouts, and designs to welcome all your new readers.

Promote Your Landing Page

Promote your landing page on your website, social media channels, and other relevant platforms. You can use paid advertising if necessary.

With beehiiv, you can join the referral program and build your email list faster with referrals from people interested in what you are offering and writing about.

Create Valuable Content

Once people have signed up for your email list, it’s important to keep them engaged by consistently providing valuable content. Blog posts, videos, and exclusive offers are all good options. Make sure the content is relevant to your audience and aligns with your brand.

With beehiiv, you have all the tools you need to create content with no code.

Monitor and Adjust

Monitor your email list regularly and adjust as needed. This could include tweaking your lead magnet, changing the frequency of your emails, or segmenting your list based on audience demographics.

With beehiiv 3D analytics, you can track every trackable metric to improve your email newsletter.

Building and Buying Targeted Mailing List

Remember, building an email list takes time and effort. Be patient, consistent, and focused on providing value to your audience.

Tying to hack the system by purchasing an email list is one of the worst mistakes you can make in email marketing.

If you want to grow faster, try the beehiiv referral tool and build a real email list today.