Finding it hard getting leads into your pipeline? Generating leads isn’t easy. What’s even more difficult is getting high-quality leads. It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Consider this:

–50% of marketers have their eyes set on lead generation as their top priority 

-A whopping 44% of sales reps complain about lead quality 

-Almost 40% of marketers believe that access to more accurate data could improve efforts 

The ultimate goal in B2B lead generation is to discover strategies that propel your business towards growth. And this is where lead lists come into play! If you’re contemplating between building one from scratch or just buying a ready-made list, you’re in the right place. 

In your quest to buy or build a B2B lead list, you may come across opinions that might tell you how wrong it is or how right it is to buy a list for your business is. It’s either this or that, no in-between. Making the right choice here can significantly impact your business’s bottom line, the revenue. 

Let’s dive into this comprehensive guide to understand what is right for your business- build or buy a B2B lead list.

What Is A B2B Lead List?

A B2B lead list is a curated database of potential buyers who have either expressed interest in your product or they are acquired based on the target audience criterias. These lists contain information such as company names, contact persons, email addresses, phone numbers, role, revenue and other relevant details that you can use for sales and marketing purposes.

B2B lead lists enable companies to personalize their communication, making their outreach efforts more relevant and increasing the likelihood of converting leads into customers. An ideal lead list should include, 

  • Firmographic data
  • Demographic data 
  • Technographic data

What Are The Characteristics Of A High Quality Lead List?

The first step towards effective prospecting is gathering lead intelligence. While company name and contact details are some essential details, you want a list that covers more useful information on every prospect as it will directly impact your sales. Whether you’re buying or building a lead list, these characteristics make them high-quality. 

  • A well-structured list with accurate data 
  • Relevant to your ideal customer profiles
  • Complies with ethical standards and regulations 
  • The list is up-to-date and has been enriched
  • Includes advanced data points such as org structure, tech stack, annual revenue and more.

But the question here is, should you buy one or build one? Let’s get an overview of both while considering key factors

Build or Buy lead list? - Factors To Consider

When deciding whether to build or buy a B2B lead list, there are several factors to consider. Here’s a comparison table highlighting the advantages of buying a lead list:

Building a List: What are the Challenges & Benefits?

Lead generation is a complex yet crucial process for B2B companies that requires a lot of effort and resources. Whether you are a startup, a SME or a large organization, building your own lead list is a sustainable way to create a high-quality database that is in your control. 

However, when we talk about building a lead list, we mean acquiring leads of high quality and that does involve certain challenges,

Challenges of building a list

Building a list, especially a high-quality and engaged one, poses several challenges. Here’s a more detailed look at these challenges:

  1. Slow Growth: You’re relying on website visitors, social media followers, and other organic sources to willingly provide their information. This natural process can be slow, especially if your online presence is relatively new or small.
  2. Content Quality: To attract people to subscribe, you need high-quality, valuable content. Consistently creating valuable blog posts, videos, podcasts, or other content can be time-consuming and requires a deep understanding of your audience’s needs and interests.
  3. Visibility and Traffic: Without substantial traffic to your website or social media channels, your opportunities for organic list growth are limited. Building a significant online presence takes time and effort in terms of SEO, social media marketing, and content promotion.
  4. Competition: Depending on your industry, there might be intense competition for attention. Standing out amidst a sea of content and offers requires creativity and a deep understanding of your unique value proposition.
  5. Conversion Optimization: Convincing visitors to subscribe often involves optimizing your website or landing pages. Small details like the placement and wording of subscription forms can significantly impact conversion rates, requiring ongoing testing and refinement.

Benefits of building a list

Here are some benefits of building a lead list, 

  1. Direct Communication: Having a list enables direct communication with your audience. You can send targeted messages, updates, and promotions to a group of people who have opted to hear from you.
  2. Targeted Marketing: Lists can be segmented based on various criteria such as location, interests, or behaviour on your website. This segmentation allows for highly targeted marketing campaigns, improving the chances of engagement and conversion.
  3. Relevancy: Knowing your audience allows you to personalize your messages. Relenavnt content is more engaging and can lead to better relationships with your audience.
  4. Increased Engagement: Subscribers on your list have shown interest in your products, services, or content. They are more likely to engage with your communications, leading to higher open rates, click-through rates, and overall interaction.
  5. Building Relationships: Regular communication with your list can help in building relationships with your audience. Over time, this relationship can lead to customer loyalty and advocacy for your brand.

Buying a Lead List: What are the Challenges & Benefits?

One method that often comes into consideration is purchasing a lead list—a database of contacts that match your target audience. However, while it might seem like a convenient solution to jumpstart marketing efforts, buying a lead list is not without its challenges and benefits. 

Source

Challenges of buying a lead list

Here are the top challenges that businesses face, 

  1. Data Quality Concerns: One of the most significant challenges with purchased lead lists is the quality of data. Outdated, inaccurate, or irrelevant information can lead to wasted time and resources, as well as damage your brand’s reputation.
    💡Pro Tip: Choose B2B data platforms that provide real-time verification instead of data vendors that provide pre-defined lists. 
  2. Legal and Compliance Issues: Purchased lead lists must comply with various regulations, such as GDPR in Europe or CAN-SPAM in the United States. Violating these regulations can result in severe penalties, making it crucial to ensure the purchased list is legally sourced and compliant.
  3. Lack of Personalization: Bought lead lists lack the personal touch that comes with leads generated through organic methods. Personalization is key in B2B relationships, and generic outreach may not yield the desired results.
  4. Competition and Saturation: If the lead list is sold to multiple businesses, the prospects on the list may be bombarded with marketing messages from various sources, leading to competition saturation. It becomes harder to stand out and capture the attention of these prospects.
  5. Dependency on External Sources: Relying solely on purchased lead lists means your business is dependent on external vendors for a continuous stream of leads. If these sources dry up or become unreliable, your sales and marketing efforts could be severely impacted.

Benefits of buying a lead list

Let’s take a look at the key benefits of purchasing leads and then get to the factors to consider.

  1. Time and Cost Efficiency: Purchasing a B2B lead list saves time and effort that would be otherwise spent on manual research. It can also be cost-effective compared to hiring a team or using other methods to gather leads.

    “Buying a lead list has an initial cost, it is typically less expensive than devoting and creating a list internally” 

    – Michael Wall Co Founder Codefixer

  2. Immediate Access to Leads: A purchased lead list provides instant access to a wide range of potential customers or clients, allowing your sales team to start outreach and marketing campaigns promptly.
  3. Targeted Audience: Lead lists can be highly specific, allowing you to target businesses based on criteria such as industry, size, location, or revenue. This targeted approach increases the chances of reaching businesses that are more likely to be interested in your products or services.
    “Every part of customer acquisition has an associated cost, and buying a lead list as a part of your strategy can help you better lessen yours and more accurately determine your ROI.”
    –Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce,
  4. Increased Sales Opportunities: With a comprehensive lead list, your sales team can reach out to a larger pool of prospects, increasing the chances of converting leads into sales. It widens your sales funnel and potentially boosts revenue.


    “Bought a lead list once and it saved us mega time, bumped efficiency about 30%. Even made our sales & marketing teams’ lives easier, letting them focus more on lead conversion. Also, shot up our enrollment rates 10% in the first quarter alone—big win considering our annual revenue of 1-2 million Euros. Lead lists can be game-changers, especially in cutthroat industries”

    But be careful, always check the vendor’s rep before buying. A bad lead list can bite”

    -Selman Seref Head of Digital Techtrain Academy

  5. Market Expansion: Lead lists enable you to expand your market reach by connecting with businesses outside your immediate network or geographical location. This can be particularly useful if you are planning to enter new markets or expand your business globally.

How to build and buy a high quality lead list that can improve your pipeline?

When you are buying a lead list, taking a strategic approach is crucial to ensure the quality and relevance of the data you acquire. Here are essential steps to complete your strategic approach,

1. Define your ideal customer and buyer personas:

Before diving into a lead generation campaign, it’s crucial to identify your target buyers. Creating an ideal customer profile (ICP) and buyer personas helps in understanding the key characteristics of your prospects, including their industry, company size, revenue figures, pain points, challenges, and goals.

Leveraging lead intelligence platforms like Adapt enable you to enter your ICP criterias and generate thousands of verified leads in just few clicks. Try now!

2. Focus on key decision-makers data

After narrowing down the type of companies to target, it’s essential to identify the decision-makers within these organizations. By mapping out the decision-making unit and relevant job titles, you can tailor personalized pitches, increasing the chances of a positive response.

3. Identify vital data parameters for your lead list

Effective lead segmentation is key to optimizing your outreach strategy. Segment leads based on firmographic details, sales triggers, and technographic data such as tech stack and essential tools used. Considering these parameters helps personalize your approach lead list approach, ensuring your create a list that closely resonates with your target audience.

4. Find a reliable B2B data platform to personalize your list

It’s important that you don’t just buy a lead list given to you by the provider. Instead invest in a reliable B2B data platform that lets you create a customized list which can then be purchased or exported. A reliable B2B data platform can provide valuable insights, enabling you to find the right contacts with advanced filters to search and find your ideal buyers.

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Essential Checklist to Follow When Buying a Lead List

  1. Define Your Target Audience: Clearly define your ideal customer profile. Understand the demographics, industry, location, and other relevant factors that characterize your target audience. The more specific you are, the better the list can be tailored to your needs.
  2. Research Reliable Suppliers: Look for reputable lead list providers. Read reviews, ask for recommendations, and verify the supplier’s reputation. Reputable suppliers adhere to data protection regulations and provide accurate, up-to-date information.

    Read: B2B Email List Providers for 2023

  3. Verify Data Accuracy: Inquire about the methods the provider uses to update and verify their data. Accurate and current information is essential for effective outreach efforts. Ask for sample data to assess its accuracy and check their pages that talks about data sourcing.
  4. Compliance with Regulations: Confirm that the lead list provider complies with relevant data protection regulations, such as GDPR, CAN-SPAM Act, or other local laws. Ensure they obtain data ethically and have permission to share it.
  5. Customization Options: Check if the provider offers customization based on your specific criteria. Customization allows you to target your audience more precisely, ensuring that the list meets your unique business needs.
  6. Integration Capabilities: Assess whether the purchased leads can be seamlessly integrated into your existing CRM or marketing automation systems. Easy integration enhances efficiency and streamlines your marketing efforts.
  7. Cost and ROI Analysis: Evaluate the cost of the lead list in relation to your expected return on investment. Consider the lifetime value of a customer and weigh it against the cost of acquiring the list.

What Is Right For Your Business? Building Or Buying?

The decision to build or buy is pivotal and should align closely with your business’s unique needs, resources, and goals. Both approaches offer distinct advantages, and choosing the right one can significantly impact your marketing effectiveness and overall business success.

Building a lead list is often time consuming, expensive but gives you quality leads over the period of time. However buying a lead list from a reliable b2b data providor can give you instant access to large pool of leads, help you execute campaigns faster and grow your sales pipeline. 

Whether you build, buy, or adopt a hybrid approach, the key lies in continuous evaluation and adaptation that suits for your business goals and needs. 

If you are looking to build a quality lead list and then buy it, you can try out Adapt with a 7 day trial to search and find your target audience data.