For many, the dilemma is very real: should you rent or buy an SMS customer list? Since both practices offer business opportunities, it can be difficult to make a choice.

Are you also torn between renting and buying? Let Octopush help you decide with this comprehensive guide on the subject.

What is an SMS customer list?

As the name suggests, an SMS prospecting list is a list of mobile numbers belonging to a company's customers or prospects. Consequently, since there are different types of businesses, SMS customer lists vary from one company to another.

With an SMS customer list, a company can:

• Prospect much more effectively: it already has the numbers of everyone to contact and convert through targeted SMS campaigns.
• Build customer loyalty by sharing special offers and promotions.

In short, having an SMS customer list allows a company to prospect better, but also to build customer loyalty. This is provided that you have a well-stocked and continuously updated SMS database, which is not always the case. This is why it is sometimes necessary to rent or buy customer databases.

How does renting an SMS consumer list work?

Renting an SMS customer list follows the exact same logic as any other rental. When you rent an SMS list, you only have access to a contact database. Therefore, the SMS file in question does not belong to you, and you can only use it once.

Of course, you will only have access to this database for a certain period of time. Consequently, its use is limited and defined between you and your provider when the rental agreement is signed.

What is interesting about SMS list rental and its pricingis that you have access to continuously updated data. Most database providers ensure that the databases they rent out contain active and verified numbers. Furthermore, it should be noted that they also handle contact targeting based on your criteria. For your part, you only need to send the prospecting messages via SMS, whether you want to reach potential customers or build loyalty with your existing ones. All this at relatively affordable prices, as you generally only pay a few cents per contact.

What about buying an SMS consumer list?

As you have surely gathered, unlike renting, buying a customer list gives you full and unrestricted access to the data it contains. In short, you become the owner of the SMS customer list you acquire. Consequently, you can use it as many times as you like.

However, unlike renting, it will be up to you to update the database at your disposal. According to statistics, French people change their numbers every 23 months. After these 23 months, your contact list may become obsolete, and you will have to update it yourself. Furthermore, targeting the numbers to contact will also be your responsibility. Both tasks are quite complicated to handle if you aren't used to them. Not to mention that purchasing a database can be rather expensive.

The advantage, however, is that you can use your SMS database as often as you like, for an unlimited period of time. This gives you the freedom to choose the frequency of all your campaigns.

It should be noted, however, that once purchased, the use of your consumer customer file is strictly reserved for you. In other words, you may not rent it out or sell it to a third party. These rules are defined by the Data Protection Act.

So, buy or rent? Our take

Both buying and renting an SMS database have their pros and cons. At Octopush, we recommend choosing based on your specific situation and your needs regarding customer and prospect contacts.

For example, we suggest you rent a customer file for SMS when you only plan to use it once and have no one available to update it or handle the targeting. Also, if your budget is limited, it is better to stick with renting.

Conversely, if you plan to launch several marketing initiatives based on your SMS database, it is better to buy it outright. Also, be sure to consider the return on investment for your SMS file purchase, as it can be quite costly. So, if you aren't certain you can convert your prospects into customers, it is better to rent.

Need to buy or rent a consumer customer file? Do both at Octopush!

Whether you are looking to rent or buy an SMS database, you can do both at Octopush. And you will enjoy many significant benefits in the process.

Including:

• Over 35 million opt-in consumer contacts (they have given their consent to receive advertising messages)
• Reliable data thanks to rigorous checking and verification of numbers