Can I Import My Email List

About This Guide

Applies to: All ONTRAPORT accounts.

Before you import a list into ONTRAPORT you must agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This includes a four item checklist:

I confirm that all of the email addresses in this file are for contacts who expect to hear from me. They have, within the last year, specifically requested to receive (from me) the content that I intend to send them.
None of these addresses were rented, bought, borrowed, lent, scraped, collected, or harvested. I did not pay for an 'opt-in list' of prospects. These are not purchased leads.
I understand that I must maintain a bounce rate of less than 7% and a complaint rate of less than 0.35% (that's less than half of one percent). Any higher numbers will be considered spam, regardless of the reason.
I understand that ONTRAPORT has zero-tolerance with respect to spam and that they can and absolutely WILL close my account if I'm suspected of spamming or can't maintain the stats above.

To clarify each of these agreements - we’ve setup a handy FAQ document to help you make an informed decision before becoming an ONTRAPORT user or importing a new list.

FAQs

Q. I found a great deal on buying leads in my particular niche. Can I use ONTRAPORT to send them emails?

A. No, you can’t. ONTRAPORT is a permission-based marketing automation platform. You’re welcome to import a list of telephone numbers or physical addresses for calling and mailing them via Postcards, but leads must have opted in to receive anything from you via email.

Q. I’ve exported all of my connections from social media (LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) so that I can keep in communication via email. Can I import them into my ONTRAPORT account to keep in touch via email?

A. No, you cannot. Explicit permission for contact via email is required.

Q. I found a database of email addresses that are publicly published on the Internet -- can I use this list?

A. No, you cannot.

Q. I’ve been gathering and emailing my leads and customers for a long time. Can I import them into ONTRAPORT and email them?

A. Maybe. Permission is a touchy subject, and many industry experts agree that permission to email your contacts expires over time -- especially if you haven’t emailed them in several months. To make sure that your list is up to standards, we’ll need to verify that whichever service you were using previously (if there was one) has proper mechanisms to process hard bounces, unsubscribe requests, and complaints. If you’ve never emailed your list before, there is a high likelihood the list will cause many bounces and complaints. To help minimize this, you may need to re-acquire opt-in information. Please contact our postmaster team at postmaster@ontraport.com for more info about your particular situation.

Q. I purchased a business, and the email list came along with it -- so these are my leads, and I can use ONTRAPORT to mail them, right?

A. If the purchased company was regularly in contact with them via email, had proper verifiable opt-in information, and the company hasn’t undergone rebranding since your purchase, then yes, you can use ONTRAPORT to mail this list.

Q. We have other partners in our industry, and they’ve given us permission to email their list. Can we import and mail these contacts via ONTRAPORT?

A. No, you cannot. These contacts requested to hear info from your partners and likely don’t know you or your brand. This could incur a high complaint rate and lots of confusion on the recipient's end. Instead, have your partner email them and send traffic to your website to get opt-ins that way.

Q. I spoke at, sponsored, or attended a trade show/conference and received the list of attendees from the managers of the show. Can I import this list of attendees to communicate via email.

A. No, you can’t communicate with this list via email using ONTRAPORT. We require specific opt-in from each individual contact that she or he would like to hear from you via email.

Q. All of the leads I’m importing came from a sign-up form on my website where they requested to receive more information from me. The fact that they will continue to receive emails from me is very clear and concise -- posted in plain and easily readable view on the sign-up form.

A. Yes, import away!

Q. I have customers and prospects write down their contact information before, during, or after a sale so that I can send them continuing communication via email. Can I mail them?

A. Yes! While it may take some time to transcribe those contacts from the written page, they have given you consent giving you the right to email them via ONTRAPORT.

If you’re not sure about your particular situation, email postmaster@ontraport.com with questions and we’ll gladly help! There may be some situations where lists are borderline, and we’ll be able to provide guidance on how to fix any permission issues you encounter. Happy mailing!

Brendan Dubbels

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