Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

The answer to your question depends on who you're marketing to and what those people are interested in (or what they have bought and would buy again). It also depends on the number of names you're looking for and how much you want to spend to acquire that list.

On top of that, you then have the issue of messaging to that list (remember, these people have probably never heard of your), in a tone and in such a way as they'll open your messages, read your messages, and respond to your offers.

Please be aware that success is not so much a question of your list, but more to do with your relationship with the people ON your list.

Buying a list might solve your need for a list, but it probably won't give you credibility or authority.

Expanding on what Gary said - buying a list is generally not all that effective. Crafting your message and getting a list well targeted for your needs helps, but these are not people who have worked with you so likely won't be all that interested in hearing from you.

The best would be some sort of qualified list related to the area you are with. For example, associations and clubs often sell the right to send their members a message under the association/club name. What is your business and what type of person are you trying to target? With this info, we might be able to suggest a list source for you.

For long term businesses, it is common to build your own list of people who have visited/purchased/have interest and that opt in to receiving messages for you. On your side of the bargain, you meed to provide messages of interest to them at a frequency that does not anny them, and give them an easy way to get off the list should they no longer want to receive messages.

buying or renting a list of email addresses violates most email marketing services terms of service. If its not a list of people who have signed up for your email marketing messages and have given informed consent to receive your messages, you would be engaging in spamming people. JUST DON'T DO IT, you are wasting your time, effort and money. There are better ways of prospecting for customers than flooding people's email boxes.