When most people go out to buy an engagement ring, they want the diamond to be certified so they can be sure they are getting what they paid for. I know that I did the research before purchasing the one I bought my wife.

Oftentimes, however, email marketers don’t insist on the same high standards when it comes to selecting a physician email database. As a result, they end up with an unauthenticated list with bad data that can ruin an email campaign before it even gets started.

Do Your Homework in Advance

Responsible emailing requires having your email list is backed by a group like the AMA to ensure the data is correct

The best way to protect yourself from purchasing or leasing a physician list that isn’t authenticated is by doing your homework. Just like you need to know the properties of a fine diamond before you step into a jewelry store so you don’t get ripped off, you also need to understand what constitutes a high-quality physician email list.

Since email continues to be one of the most significant forms of communication today, including in the healthcare setting, it’s increasingly important that you have a reliable way to reach physicians.

Warning Signs of a Bad Email List

Here are some of the common warning signs that should indicate an unauthenticated email list:

1. The list is not updated daily. In today’s fast-paced world, your addresses need to be updated daily. Otherwise it will have many bad addresses, leading to a high bounce rate.
2. The list has more institutional addresses than personal ones. This can be a sign you are working with a manufactured list that was taken off the web and/or scraped together, which violates the CAN-SPAM Act. A quality database should have a mix of professional and personal emails, weighing more heavily on the personal side since many healthcare professionals prefer to check their emails from home or on the go.
3. The list is not 100 percent opted in. A manufactured list means that the healthcare professional did not opt in. In other words, they did not agree to receive emails from you. The most reliable lists actually have an opt-in process and warm-up plan to completely ensure recipients actually want to receive your messages.
4. The list has not been verified by a reliable third-party source. Responsible emailing requires matching your list of email addresses against current lists from respected organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA). This ensures that they actually belong to practicing physicians or specialists. 
5. The database company is secretive about where they sourced the list. If the list really comes from a quality source, the company will be happy to share the name since this can be a great selling point. On the flip side, when the company is secretive, this should ring some warning bells. If a vendor is legit, they will be proud of their sources.

Don’t Settle for Less Than the Best

A list that is not updated daily will have many bad addresses, leading to a high bounce rate

When shopping for a reliable physician email database, be sure to find one that is:

• First-party sourced and opted in
• 100% privacy compliant
• Updated daily

Remember that a genuine diamond and cubic zirconia may look similar to the naked eye but under the jeweler’s loop, the differences are impossible to miss. The same holds true with your email database. Its authenticity needs to stand up to thorough scrutiny to ensure you are getting the results you seek.