Got a List From a Partner or Newsletter Swap? Check It Before You Send
A list from a partner is a list somebody else grew, with somebody else's form, somebody else's cleaning habits and somebody else's idea of permission. Treat it the way you would treat any file you have not seen before. Ask where it came from, verify it on the verify page, send a small first batch, and read the bounces before the rest. The first 100 checks are free on a Google sign-in, no card.
Ask four questions first
- Where and when were these addresses collected? A list from a webinar last month and one from a giveaway three years ago behave differently.
- What did the sign-up form say? If it did not mention you or your kind of message, the people may not expect your mail.
- When was it last cleaned, and by what? "We email them every week" is a good sign. "We have not mailed them in a while" is not.
- Can you have their unsubscribes and bounces? Merge them into your own suppression file with the suppression list merger so you never mail someone who has already left.
If the partner cannot answer, that is information too. Questions to ask a B2B data vendor has a longer list that also suits partners.
Step 1: Add the list to your own file without losing the source
Keep the partner's list in a separate file, or add a source column. When the first bounce arrives you will want to know which list it came from. The bounce rate by source tool reads that column back.
Step 2: Remove what you already have
Use the compare email lists tool to find addresses that are on both files. Spending checks on people you already mail is a waste, and mailing them twice in a day is irritating.
Step 3: Verify the new addresses
Upload the remaining rows to the verify page. Read the split. A partner list with a high invalid share tells you about the partner's list, and it tells you before your own sender reputation takes the hit. My list came back mostly invalid covers what to do when the number is high.
Step 4: Send a small first batch
Send to a slice of the valid rows, wait a day, then look at bounces, unsubscribes and complaints. If the first slice is clean, send the rest. The risky rows go last. Plan the send order for a verified list has the order.
Step 5: Write for people who do not know you yet
Say in the first line why they are getting the message and which partner it came through. A clear reason reduces complaints more than a clever subject line.
What this does not settle
Whether the partner may share their list with you is a question of consent, contracts and local law, and a check does not answer it. This is not legal advice.
Check the list
SimpleVerifier Pro is $39 a month. The first 100,000 checks a month run at full speed, then they run slower, and you are never cut off, so one list and every file after it fit in the same plan. Start with 100 free checks, no card, on a Google sign-in. See the pricing page.
Common questions
Can I verify a list a partner gave me?
Yes. The address check works on any file. What it cannot answer is whether the people agreed to hear from you, so ask the partner how consent was collected before you mail.
What should I ask a partner before using their list?
Where and when the addresses were collected, what the sign-up form said, when the list was last cleaned, and whether they have a record of unsubscribes and bounces they can share.
How should I send to a partner's list for the first time?
Verify it, send to a small slice of the valid rows first, and look at bounces and complaints before sending to the rest.
Is a swap with another newsletter safer than a bought list?
It can be, because the readers chose the other newsletter. It is still a list you have not tested, so the same checks apply.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.