What flavor do you prefer? Soft or Hard? These two are the heavy weights in Email Marketing when we talk about bounces. If you don’t know or don’t remember what a bounce is here we go:
A ‘bounce’ in email marketing refers to an email that couldn’t be delivered to the recipient’s inbox and was returned to the sender. There are two types of bounces – soft and hard. Understanding the difference between them is crucial for maintaining high deliverability rates and ensuring the success of your email campaigns.
The Soft Bounce
Imagine you’re delivering a package, but when you arrive, there are a few obstacles. Maybe the mailbox is jam-packed with other deliveries, or the house is temporarily closed for maintenance. You can’t drop off the package, so you take it back and plan to try again later. That’s essentially what happens with a soft bounce in email marketing.
When you send an email, it reaches the recipient’s mail server, but for some reason, it can’t be delivered to their inbox right away. This could be because their inbox is full, the email is too large, or the server is temporarily down. The email isn’t lost; it’s just waiting for another chance to be delivered. Soft bounces are like a “hold on, not yet” response from the recipient’s server.
What’s important to note is that soft bounces are usually fixable. The email might be successfully delivered if you retry later. It’s different from a hard bounce, where the email can’t be delivered at all.
Soft bounces in email marketing occur when an email reaches the recipient’s mail server but is returned without being delivered to the inbox due to permanent issues. Here are some common causes:
1. Mailbox Full: The recipient’s inbox has reached its storage limit, so no new emails can be received.
2. Server Downtime: The recipient’s email server is temporarily unavailable or undergoing maintenance.
3. Message Size: The email is too large to be delivered, often due to large attachments or heavy images.
4. Rate Limits: The sending frequency or volume is too high, causing the recipient’s server to temporarily reject the emails.
5. Spam Filters: The email content might trigger spam filters, causing it to be held back or delayed before reaching the inbox.
6. DNS Errors: Issues with the recipient’s domain or DNS settings can prevent the email from being properly routed.
7. Temporary Block: The recipient’s server temporarily blocks emails from the sender due to previous sending patterns, IP reputation issues, or blacklisting.
8. Greylisting: Some servers use greylisting as a spam prevention technique, where emails are temporarily rejected and only accepted after being retried.
The Hard Bounce
Hard bounces in email marketing are like trying to deliver a package to an address that doesn’t exist or has been permanently shut down. You show up with the package, but there’s no mailbox, no door, or the place is just gone. The delivery can’t happen, no matter how many times you try.
When you send an email and it results in a hard bounce, it means the email can’t be delivered because of a permanent issue. This might be because the email address is invalid, doesn’t exist, or has been closed. Unlike soft bounces, where there’s a chance the email could go through later, hard bounces are a clear “no-go.” The email will never reach its destination, and you’ll need to remove that address from your list to keep your sender reputation in good standing. In essence, a hard bounce is like a permanent “return to sender” with no chance of delivery in the future.
Hard bounces can occur for several reasons:
1. Invalid Email Addresses
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Typos: Keep an eye out for those sneaky little typos, like typing “john.doe@gnail.com” instead of “gmail.com.” They seem harmless, right? But don’t be fooled—these tiny slip-ups can send your emails straight into the void because, well, that domain doesn’t exist. Even a missing letter or a misplaced period can be enough to cause a bounce.
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Fake or Mistyped Addresses: Whether it’s someone playing fast and loose with their details or just a simple mistake, fake or mistyped email addresses are bad news. They’re the ghost towns of the email world—completely empty and nowhere to go. You send an email, and it’s like tossing a message in a bottle into the ocean. Spoiler alert: it’s going to bounce.
2. Non-Existent Domains
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Expired Domains: If the domain tied to the email address has gone kaput or expired, your email is going to hit a dead end. Think of it like sending a letter to a business that’s closed its doors for good. No one’s there to pick it up, so it’s coming right back to you. Hard bounce city.
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DNS Errors: Sometimes, it’s not that the place doesn’t exist, but that it’s just… off the grid. DNS issues can make a domain untraceable, like trying to find a house without an address. If the domain’s DNS settings are all messed up, your email won’t stand a chance.
3. Email Address No Longer Active
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Deactivated Accounts: Sometimes, email accounts go the way of the dinosaurs—deleted or deactivated by the user or admin. You send an email, but it’s like knocking on a door that’s been boarded up. No one’s home, so that email is bouncing right back to you.
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Job Changes: People move on, and so do their email addresses. In the fast-paced world of B2B, employees come and go, and their work emails often get the axe. So, when you send an email to someone who’s moved on, it’s like trying to reach someone who’s left the building—literally. Expect a hard bounce.
4. Email Server Blocking
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Blocked by Recipient Server: Sometimes, it’s not you, it’s them. The recipient’s email server might decide it’s had enough of you—maybe because your IP is on a blacklist or their security settings are on high alert. Once you’re blocked, it’s game over for future emails to that address. Hard bounce, every time.
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Domain Blacklisting: If your domain’s been blacklisted, it’s like being put on the “Do Not Disturb” list. Recipient servers won’t even let your emails through the front door. This kind of hard bounce is a big red flag, telling you it’s time to clean up your act and restore your sender reputation.]
What Can You Do About It?
Since soft bounces are temporary, they usually resolve themselves over time. However, if an email address consistently soft bounces, it may be worth taking these items into account to protect your sender reputation:
Optimize Email Size
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Reduce File Sizes: Large attachments, images, or embedded media can cause your emails to bounce if they exceed the recipient’s server limits. Compress images, use links instead of attachments, and streamline your content to keep your emails light and easy to deliver.
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Use a Responsive Design: You better have a friendly design for both desktop and mobile devices. In that way, you’ll ensure the size reduction of your emails and, more importantly, your recipients will enjoy a fantastic user experience. That’s why we are all here, right?
Monitor and Improve Content Quality
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Avoid Spam Triggers: There are some words, phrases and patterns that can activate spam filters alarms. So start saying bye-bye to CAPITAL LETTERS, exclamation marks like these ones!!! and be cautious about overly promotional language before it’s too late.
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Test Before Sending: Consider using tools that allow you to test your emails for spam triggers and deliverability issues before you hit “send”. In that way, you’ll adjust your content and strategy.
Manage Sending Frequency and Timing
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Adjust Send Times: If you start seeing soft bounces due to server downtime or rate limits, try off-peak hours when the recipient’s server is less likely to be overwhelmed.
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Throttle Your Sends: We know you’re excited about sending thousands of emails but hey, cool it down. It’s better to send fewer emails in small batches rather than all at once.
Keep a Healthy Email List
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Clean Your List Regularly: Let go of those inactive subscribers or those who haven’t engaged with your emails in a long time. This is pretty much like having a relationship. If they don’t pay attention, move on. It might sound counterintuitive, but trust us: by removing these subscribers you won’t find nasty surprises later like full mailboxes or inactive accounts.
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Use Double Opt-In: Consent is key. Make sure you ask your recipients not once, but twice to confirm their email address before adding them to your list. The results? Go to the point above. We already said it.
Monitor Bounce Reports and Take Action
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Analyze Soft Bounce Patterns: Be always alert on bounce reports to identify recurrent issues. They have key information as to what might be the problem with your content, sending frequency or email size.
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Follow Up on Soft Bounces: For critical emails that soft bounce, it is a good idea to retry delivery after you’ve addressed the potential cause. There are some email marketing platforms that automatically retry sending soft-bounced emails after a certain period of time. However, you can also follow up manually if necessary.
Strengthen Your Email Authentication
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Implement SPF, DKIM and DMARC: If you want your emails to arrive safe and sound to its destination, then get these guys. Their authentication protocols help verify that your emails are coming from a legitimate source. By implementing them, your emails won’t be flagged as spam filters or rejected by recipient servers.
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Monitor Your Sender Reputation: The better you look, the better you’ll be treated, so make sure your reputation is at its finest.
The Bottom Line
By understanding the difference between these two types of bounces, and how to manage them effectively, you can ensure your email campaigns reach their intended recipients and achieve their goals.
Remember, a successful email campaign is not just about creating compelling content. It’s also about ensuring that content reaches the inbox of your subscribers.