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Ask HN: What's considered spam?

1 points by gawker ↗ HN
Hi everyone,

So I've created a landing page and in the process of building my web application for real estate agents. I'd like to speak with my customers. Am I allowed to email everyone I find on Google and gather feedback from them and eventually asking them to sign up? Would that be considered spam?

4 comments

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soneill
No, that should be fine. Just be realistic in your expectations for replies; you're basically cold-calling, so expect the majority of your inquiries to be ignored.
gawker
Thanks! Yeah I won't be expecting much. Although, would you happen to know the conversion rate for cold calling? What's considered a successful rate?
soneill
It depends on exactly how you're contacting them. Electronic contact with personal email addresses are more likely to get a response than generic "info" addresses, let alone "contact us" pages. That said, a 10% rate is generally considered successful.

I know that's not encouraging, but I'd say that's the ballpark for success based on my experience.

gawker
Thanks. I'll do my best.