In the world of digital marketing, email copies have proven to be one of the most effective forms of digital marketing. In fact, marketers use them to sell their services to new and existing clients. However, the problem with email marketing is that most of these emails bounce and don’t reach the designated reader. This can, in turn, distort an ongoing marketing campaign if the bounce rate is not monitored.
What is an Email Bounce Rate?
Bounce rate is the percentage of your emails that didn’t deliver to their recipients, and they can occur for various reasons. Email bounce rates are also classified into two categories:
- Soft Bounce: Emails may not deliver due to temporary issues like greylisting or recipient inbox quota.
- Hard Bounce: Emails will not deliver if you send them to an incorrect, non-existent, or invalid address. Emails sent to such addresses will get a non-deliverable report (NDR).
Before diving into detail on how to reduce email bounce rate, you should get one thing clear – no email campaign has a 0% bounce rate. According to SmartInsights, an average email bounce rate is about 2%. That being said, having an email campaign with a bounce rate higher than two doesn’t immediately suggest a huge problem. It just indicates that there is room for content or delivery improvement.
What are the Risks of High Bounce Rate?
A rise in the bounce rate for an email campaign can make a mess of any marketer’s effort. As a digital marketer, you want the bounce rate of your emails to decrease rather than increase. When an email doesn’t get delivered to a recipient, it raises red flags with the recipient mail exchanger servers (MX). MX servers then start sending emails to spam when it notices large numbers of bounced mails from an address.
New emails sent through that MX server get filtered to spam, and your subscribers will not receive your emails anymore. This, in turn, limits your reach. If you keep ignoring the bounce rate of your email campaigns, you will get blacklisted at some point.
Many marketers don’t understand how to fix a high bounce rate from an email campaign. So, not to worry, you are not alone!
It’s possible for digital marketers to reduce the email bounce rate to the acceptable average or less. We’ve researched and highlighted seven(7) steps below to guide you on your next email campaign.
How to Reduce Email Bounce Rate
Now that you know the reasons and risks of email bounce rate, how can we reduce it? We can reduce bounce rates and ensure prompt email delivery through the following steps.
- Use Double Opt-in Always
One mistake a lot of marketers make is using a Single Opt-In method to get contacts. Single Opt-In involves asking subscribers to fill out their details, including emails in a form. And then automatically being put on your mailing list. But this isn’t a method we advise because your email might be perceived as spam and end up in the spam folder.
A better method is the Double-Opt-In, where subscribers fill their details in a form. Then they get a follow-up message on their email address asking them to confirm their agreement.
The Double Opt-In method is beneficial because it helps confirm that the mail is not BOT engineered. You also get the consent of the owner, and you’re sure that the address is correct.
- Your Email Campaign Should Not Be A Means To Clean Up Your Mailing List
Some careless new email marketers do something called the trial and error method. They send sample emails to addresses and flag the ones that generate a bounce. This stunt is nasty and soils your professional reputation. The trial and error method also consumes valuable time, which, honestly, any serious business cannot afford to waste.
Your first campaign should never be a means to clean your list. Instead, invest in email verifying help tools that are efficient and accurate.
- Use Helpful Tools To Verify Your Emails
Instead of spending time soiling your reputation, make use of helpful tools. These tools are usually fast, effective, help reduce bounce rate, and protect your integrity.
One of these email checking tools is Verifalia, which uses AI to confirm mail validity. With modern computing tools, it does a quick and accurate verification of email addresses. The best part is that it doesn’t notify the owner of the address. Another recognized email checker is AeroLeads. Once you register on the software, you can verify your first hundred emails for free. Simply type the email address on the search bar in the software. And it tells you if the address is valid or not. If the address isn’t accurate, you can remove it with its unique scrubbing system.
- Keep Your Email List Updated
One of the reasons why you have a high bounce rate could be your mailing list. The list may be cluttered or stale with inactive addresses. This can happen if you’ve not sent an email to these addresses in at least six months.
The best way to update your list is by maintaining contact with your subscribers. You should also provide them with options to update preferences or unsubscribe from receiving emails.
- Don’t Create Spam-Like Emails
Some emails automatically get flagged as spam. And often, the words used to create such emails are to be blamed. So, every few months, update yourself on the accepted email language. This way, your mails won’t get flagged or bounced.
- Learn to Write Quality Email Copies
Knowing how to write quality email copies is one of the first things marketers should learn. These copies must compel, interest, capture, and give value. Remember that you’re trying to catch the prospect’s attention without doing it in person. So you have only a moment to influence their decision. There is a list of things you should do, which include:
- Always begin with a catchy headline that excites your reader to open and read.
- Keep the emails concise but loaded. Stick to relevant and interesting content that gives the recipient immediate value.
- Ensure that your content suits your target audience.
If you fail to achieve those above, the recipient could mark your mail as spam. Other times, they may delete without reading because they find the messages a distraction. And these factors can increase your bounce rate.
- Avoid Free-Sender and Domains
Before you begin an email marketing campaign, set up an authentic business domain. Sending mails from a business domain increases the rate of mail delivery and reduces the bounce rate. It also eliminates the potential of your subscribers getting security alerts.
In reverse, free-sender domains could harm your email campaign. There’s a high possibility that your mails will get filtered and marked as spam. When your mails keep going to spam, your bounce rate increases. And this can make you lose even your most loyal clients.
Conclusion
Many email campaigns are dead-on-arrival because of a high bounce rate. But understanding what bounce rate is, the causes, risks, and how to reduce them helps make the difference. Professionals can now enjoy email marketing without experiencing a terrible bounce rate.
Author BIO:
Gregory is passionate about researching new technologies in both mobile, web and WordPress. Also, he works on Best Writers Online the best writing services reviews. Gregory in love with stories and facts, so Gregory always tries to get the best of both worlds.
