email list costs | Programmatic B2B
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How much does it cost to buy email lists for B2B Marketing?

This may not be the best question, given the fact that data costs should be evaluated in the context of campaign performance. Nevertheless, there needs to be a starting point for buyers and sellers to operate within an acceptable range. The source of the data is extremely important as well, given the fact that about 25 percent of every database becomes out-of-date every year due primarily to job changes and other factors.

Most of the time (but not always), first and second-party B2B email lists will be more accurate and up-to-date than third-party databases. Companies like DiscoverOrg, the parent company of ZoomInfo, have invested heavily in trying to change that and are making progress.

For the purpose of helping buyers and sellers with some pricing framework, here are the results of our research based on a sample (n = 25) of the top B2B email lists recommended by professional direct response marketers, media buyes and list brokers.

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The research and the results.

The following research and analysis was conducted in October 2020, representing a random selection of the top B2B email lists and databases. The list or database title, owner company name, universe size, pricing and category are provided for each. NextMark is the primary source for this research. NextMark is a privately held corporation headquartered in Hanover, New Hampshire USA with its Sales team in New York City and its Market Intelligence team in Edmond, Oklahoma.

US B2B Email Databases

Statistical summary for business email lists.

It is important to note that price should never be the only factor in deciding which email list or database to test. Testing a random or nth quantity for three or more files is highly recommended. This is important not only for deliverability, but also positive engagement.  A deliverable email is not always a guarantee for success -- spam traps are deliverable emals too!

B2B Email List Pricing Variance
B2B Email List Prices

The average business email list rental price was $384.00 per 1,000 emails. This does not include things like the setup of the email campaign, house file suppression, HTML revisions or other creative changes. As a general rule, opt-in response email lists are available for rental only, but most of the large compiled business email databases are available for annual or unlimited use. This allows you to further segment and enhance the data within your own CRM environment, and further leverage the resulting audiences with marketing automation. 

If you've read this far, then you've earned the right to know the most important fact. Data prices are almost always negotiable. Many data resellers have supported an affluent lifestyle on the arbitrage. Be sure to see some sample records and ask for a permission pass or other preliminary test campaign before you buy a significant volume or records outright for internal use. 

For more information about Programmatic B2B, please contact us via our contact page or call us directly at 1 855 PRO - BTOB.

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