If you don’t have the time, expertise or resources to generate or grow your own lists, one particularly easy and comparatively cost-effective way of reaching a large number of potential customers is third party contact data. In this post we’ll talk you through some basic checks before buying third party data to ensure that you’re purchasing compliant, high-quality data.

1. ICO registration In the UK, any person or corporate entity in possession of personal data should be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). A free, 30 second check on the ICO website will confirm that your supplier is a registered data controller.

2. Guarantees Although it’s impossible for any data supplier to ensure 100% accuracy, the guarantees offered before purchase can be a good indication of the supplier’s confidence in their product. Look for promises to replace or refund “gone away” or inaccurate records.

3. Where is the supplier? Look for suppliers domiciled within the same legal jurisdiction, to ensure that compliance isn’t an issue - external regulatory zones can have significantly different, often far less stringent data regulations. Importing data can be legally challenging and ultimately, you will be held responsible if your marketing is in breach of local laws.

Who owns this?

4. Data ownership, permissions Ensure ownership, contact methods and frequency are clearly defined in writing before any data transfer takes place.

5. Cost If it seems too good to be true, it often is. Expect to pay between 10p and £1 for safe and legal B2B contact data, depending, of course, on age, the number of fields required, seniority, company size and other meta information.

6. Age and Collection Method How was it generated and how old is it? Seemingly simple questions, but very important when attempting to understand the provenance of data. You might seek to understand the research methods employed by a supplier, the number of staff they have, and even ask to audit a few records. As new GDPR legislation comes into force, compliant companies will need to be able to provide call records and more. The more time you have to work with your supplier and investigate, the more you can understand the quality of what you’re buying.

7. Range of Information Does the data provide enough information (other than simple contact details) to allow you to filter and target as you wish, for optimal campaign performance?

8. Sample Data Once you have a clear idea of who you’re trying to reach, reputable data providers can offer valuable advice in terms of how to target and select these people - they will normally be happy to count how many suitable prospects they have in their databases and provide small samples for you to get a good idea of what you’re buying.