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Can I use my email list with Direct Mail?

Some mailing lists cannot be used with Direct Mail. The requirements below have been designed to protect your email reputation and ensure that we're able to deliver your email campaigns quickly and reliably.

You must obtain email permission from each person on your list before emailing them using Direct Mail. Here are some examples of what does and does not constitute permission:

OK to Email

  • People who opted-in via your website or app. This could be via an online subscribe form (try our subscribe form builder).
  • People who opted-in to your list via some method offline
  • Current or recent customers or clients
  • Customers or clients who attended an event you hosted and signed up for your list
  • You're sending on behalf of a client and their list complies with the above. Please remember that, as the account holder, you (not the client) are ultimately responsible for ensuring their list meets our opt-in requirements.

Not OK to Email

  • Purchased, rented, or borrowed email lists (see "Why purchased lists are a bad idea")
  • Lists provided by third-party online marketing services, even if they claim to be "opt-in"
  • Lists obtained from a third party
  • Email addresses obtained without the recipient's permission (even if you think they really want to hear from you)
  • Email addresses that have "gone stale" (this means that you haven't used the list in over a year)
  • Email addresses that were rejected, marked invalid, or marked as unsubscribed by another email provider
  • Lists from a previous business that you now want to use for a new venture
  • Lists you scraped or scavenged off your hard drive or the Internet
  • Lists obtained from real estate MLS databases, Advertising Red Books, ADBASE lists, Fresh Lists, etc.
  • Do not import your personal or business address book into Direct Mail unless you are sure you have permission from each and every contact

Relevance

Please make sure that the content of the email you are sending is relevant to what the people on your list originally signed up for. Irrelevant content can be the cause of a large number of spam complaints or unsubscribes.

Why These Requirements?

We want to make sure that Direct Mail is able to deliver your email quickly and reliably. Key to that goal is helping our customers build good email reputations. Most modern anti-spam systems assess the "reputation" of the sender. Senders whose campaigns result in high numbers of complaints or bounces will see their email reputation impacted negatively. Email campaigns from senders with a poor reputation are often blocked or routed to the Spam folder. On the other hand, senders with a good email reputation will enjoy excellent deliverability. Following the above guidelines can help you maintain an excellent email reputation.

If you have any questions about your mailing list or the above guidelines, please contact our support team.

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