When evaluating a contact list given to you, what crucial question should you ask?

When evaluating a contact list, asking whether you have verifiable permission to send to the contacts is fundamental to maintaining compliance with regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR. Permission-based marketing is essential in fostering a positive relationship with your audience and enhancing deliverability rates. Ensuring that recipients have opted in to receive communications not only protects your business from potential legal issues but also increases engagement rates, as contacts who have shown interest in your brand are more likely to engage with your content.

While considerations about cost-effectiveness, the age of the list, and the general interest level of the contacts are all relevant, they do not hold the same weight in terms of compliance and relationship building as the verification of permission. Without explicit consent, even a highly targeted and engaged list can lead to higher unsubscribe rates, spam complaints, and damage to your sender reputation. Thus, confirming permissions should be a priority when assessing any contact list.