from
Bounce handling is an essential feature offered by most Email Service Providers (ESPs) and mail-sending platforms to manage bounced emails effectively.
When an email bounces, it means that it was not delivered to the intended recipient, either due to an incorrect email address or a technical issue. By handling bounces, email marketers can ensure that their email list remains clean and up-to-date, improving email deliverability and engagement.
Bounce handling typically involves segregating bounces into two categories: hard and soft bounces. A hard bounce occurs when an email is permanently undeliverable, such as when the email address is invalid, closed, or blocked. In contrast, a soft bounce occurs when an email is temporarily undeliverable, such as when the recipient’s inbox is full or their email server is down.
ESPs and mail-sending platforms handle bounces differently, but most offer features such as automatic list cleaning, retrying failed sends, and removing invalid email addresses. By managing bounces effectively, email marketers can reduce their bounce rates and improve email deliverability, engagement, and ROI.
In addition to bounce handling, email marketers should follow best practices to reduce bounce rates and maintain a clean email list. These practices include sending emails only to opted-in email addresses, regularly cleaning email lists to remove invalid email addresses, and using a double opt-in process to obtain email addresses. Monitoring email deliverability metrics such as bounce rates, open rates, click-through rates, and spam complaints can also help identify and address bounce problems before they become significant issues.
In conclusion, bounce handling is a critical feature that helps email marketers manage bounced emails effectively. By segregating bounces into hard and soft categories and using automated list cleaning and retrying failed sends, email marketers can reduce bounce rates and improve email deliverability and engagement. By following email marketing best practices and monitoring email deliverability metrics, email marketers can maintain a clean email list and ensure their messages reach their intended recipients.
Discover more