List rental is one of those things that could either be very good or very bad. If you rent the wrong list from the wrong person, you could end up with a lot of trouble and spam reports on your hands. However, if you rent from the right list rental service . . . you could end up with a lot more loyal subscribers and possibly some future clients.

The trick to finding a list rental service you can trust is to do your research. Don´t just jump on the lowest price you see. It really does pay to check out list rental companies before you start handing out money, not doing so could lose you your credibility and reputation.

Asking other internet marketers which list rental company they recommend can be an excellent way to find a reliable company. If you have friends who are in internet marketing, let them know you are scouting out new list rental services and ask for their opinion on the ones you´ve found. After all, word of mouth is usually far more reliable than flashing red letters on a sales page.

If you find a list rental site that looks promising, do a search for it on Google. There will usually be some good and a little bad about every company, someone is always dissatisfied, but if the goods outnumber the bads, it might be worthwhile. You can also contact people via forums and ask about the credibility of certain list rental services. This is where community comes in handy.

A quick check with the Better Business Bureau is not amiss, either. This won´t tell you if a company is legit, but it will tell you if they have had any complaints filed against them.

Take the time to do a little research on your list rental services and you won´t be sorry. It´s the best way to make sure that you are getting the best company possible and won´t be slammed with hundreds of spam charges later on.

So, you´ve decided to get into list rental, a good way to rapidly expand your marketing base . . . but not always the most secure method. There are a few signs to watch out for, though. Certain list rental companies are quite legit and make sure that they do everything in concordance with the CAN-SPAM act. But some list rental businesses simply scrape email addresses off websites and forums . . . which will cause you problems down the road. Here are a few things to watch out for when you start looking for email lists to rent.

• Too-good-to-be-true list rental pricing. If you see an ad that offers 10,000 addresses for just a few dollars, stay far, far away!

• Non-confirmed opt-ins. You want to make sure that the list rental company is confirming their opt-ins, they should state that they do double opt-ins on their site.

• High rental numbers. Find out how often the people on this list are being contacted . . . if you are the fiftieth person this month, your email probably won´t make it too far.

• No guarantees. A legit list rental company should offer you an SLA (Service Level Agreement) at the very least, with guaranteed name validation and CAN-SPAM compliance. Even better, a money-back guarantee.

• No information. A good list rental service will give you plenty of info on how they collect their names, demographic stats and more. If you see nothing more than a list for sale, move on.

It is important that you select your list rental business with great care, to avoid being labeled as a spammer. While email list rental can help you spread the word about your business, you do need to be careful, too.

When you pay for a rented list, you need to make sure the emails on it are actually people who have opted in to the list . . . and who are willing to receive emails from you. Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail, published a list of email addresses on his blog, from people who have sent him not spam, but actual newsletters and press releases.

According to one of the people listed, he bought a list with Chris´ name on it. According to the rented list owner, all emails were for people interested in receiving information on stock photos. The grave mistake this email marketer made was not checking the list to make sure it really was opt-in.

There are a few ways to make sure you don´t destroy your reputation with rented lists. You could talk to other people who have rented this list, to find out if the leads are high quality. You could also ask for information on where the emails are taken from and once the rented lists are in your hands, send out an email introducing yourself and your services and asking anyone not interested to please unsubscribe.

Take care of your reputation since you only need to appear on a list like Chris Anderson´s once and you could be blacklisted.

When you put together your next email marketing campaign you might consider a list rental company. But how do you choose the right one?

In general, you choose select a list rental company that has some expertise, or at least experience, in the area that you need a list for. In other words, if you can find a list rental company that specializes in your particular niche then they will be better equipped to serve you than a company that specializes in general lists.

You can find such a company by using your favorite search engine and searching for “list rental” plus your niche keyword. If that doesn’t return any results for you then try searching for “list rental” in general. Ask around. Perhaps you know people in your particular niche that will recommend a list rental company for you.

Bear in mind, though, that if you rent a list, it’s a one time deal. You get one shot so make it count. If you encounter a list rental company that appears to be out to make a quick sale rather than find the right list just for you, run the other way. What you really want is a list rental company that will take the time to find the right list just for you.

I know the challenges of starting from scratch. You have no list, but you have a lot of content to send out. Where do you get the names?

You have to be careful with sending our unsolicited emails. That could get you into trouble. Of course, you could use the tried and true methods of list building: an opt in box on your website, an email marketing landing page, also called a squeeze page, and building strategic partnerships. But those methods take time and you won’t build a list overnight.

Another option is you could rent an email list. But should you?

There are several factors to consider before you decide to rent an email list. Obviously, price is one of those. But don’t make the decision on price alone. Other factors are just as important. One of the primary considerations is whether the list rental company you are considering can meet the specific and unique needs of your company. Do they have a list that can make you money?

Here is a list of questions you can ask any potential list rental company you are considering:

• Have the right demographics for your target market
• How do they maintain the accuracy of their lists?
• Do they have a money-back guarantee?
• Have the contacts on the list agreed to receiving third-party e-mails?
• What is the company’s spam policy?
• What kind of tracking is available for the list?
• How many emails can you send to the list for the price you are paying?
• What is the typical response rate of emails sent to this list by other companies?

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it should give you some food for thought. Bottom line, do your homework before you just jump out and rent a list from the first company you encounter. You may be able to build your list in other ways.