This Week’s Fix: Review Hard Bounces
Today’s top email service platforms (ESPs) will report how many “hard bounces” your newsletter received after sending.
Hard bounces are permanent delivery failures. A few common reasons for getting hard bounces include:
The user no longer exists (e.g., Eliza is no longer at your company, so the [email protected] address is no longer active)
The domain no longer exists (e.g., @yourcompany.com is no longer active)
The user or domain is spelled wrong (e.g., @yorcompany.com)
It’s not unusual for your subscriber list to have misspelled addresses if you don’t have a double opt-in process or email validation mechanism baked into your sign-up flow.
How You Can Apply This Today
After you send your next newsletter, take a few minutes to scan your hard bounces and look for any usernames or domains that were obviously mistyped (and not fake, like [email protected]) during the sign-up process.
Common flubs I see:
@yourcompany.con
@gmaill.com
@yahoo.cm
Fixing mistakes like this is a good use of time because these subscribers are real people who already agreed to receive communications from you. Keeping an existing subscriber is cheaper than acquiring a new one!
This Week’s Postcard
The Cotton Club in Harlem, NYC
Something from IRL
We spend a lot of time at the Denver Zoo. What struck me this summer is how much my kids just want to play in the sandpit or wooded area in the back, filling buckets with dirt and cooking imaginary meals. It’s a good reminder that they don’t need a bunch of noisy toys (or roaring lions) to be entertained.
See You Next Week
That’s it for this edition of Priority Mail. Next up, one simple fix under the Strategy & Positioning category.
Until then, if you’re struggling to send a consistent, high-quality newsletter that keeps you top of mind with clients, I’d love to help.
Book time with me here.
We can take a look at your ESP setup, review a recent newsletter, or talk through your biggest pain points; whatever is most helpful.
Chris
GM at Future Forest
