Don't buy a general mailing list

Internet mail technology makes it extremely easy to compile large lists of e-mail addresses. You may have already been bombarded with advertisements offering thousands of e-mail addresses for pennies per address, and you may be tempted to buy one of these lists as a way to market your products. I've seen lists of more than 100,000 addresses for less than $30. But guerrillas never send mail to people don't care, and if you buy a list of e-mail addresses you have no idea who you're mailing to, or whether or not they'll care about your message. In most cases, you're asking for trouble by intruding into people's mailboxes. A mailing list that specifically targets your prospects may be worth the investment, but stay away from general lists that don't target anyone at all.