Key facts
- People change jobs often, so a list that was right a year ago can be wrong for many of the names on it now.
- When someone moves, their old work email stops working and their title is wrong.
- Phone numbers and personal emails tend to last longer than work emails.
- A job-change flag marks people who have moved.
What goes stale first?
The job. When someone moves, their old work email stops working and their title is wrong. Phone numbers and personal emails tend to last longer than work emails.
What dates does Buzzlist show?
Business records in Buzzlist can carry a record update date, a job title update date, a company update date and the date an email was last observed, where the data has them. A job-change flag marks people who have moved.
What should I do with stale records?
Do not send to them. Re-check the email first, and if the person has moved, find them at their new company or find who replaced them.
How to check a list for stale contacts
- Sort by update date
Put the oldest records at the top. They need checking first.
- Check the emails
Run every address through a check. Treat catch-all and unknown as not verified.
- Compare titles
Look for people whose title or company has changed since the list was made.
- Replace, then send
Find the person who now holds the role, and drop anyone you cannot confirm.
When does Buzzlist fit, and when does it not?
It fits when
- You want update dates and email checks next to each person.
- You would rather replace stale records than guess.
It does not fit when
- You want a guarantee that every email delivers. No email check is a delivery guarantee.
Questions people ask next
How old is too old for a contact list?
There is no fixed cut-off. Any record you have not checked in the last few months should be checked again before you send.
Does Buzzlist refresh records?
Buzzlist shows the update dates it has for each record, and Buzz checks email status before Buzz Send sends anything.
What if I already paid for an old list?
Import it as a CSV. Importing your own contacts does not use contacts, and Buzz checks the addresses before sending.
Why did my old list bounce so much?
Usually because people moved jobs and their old work addresses were closed.