List hygiene and email bounces
Understand the importance of keeping your list free of dead and unresponsive addresses and how best to handle undeliverable emails.
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Popular articles:
What are you afraid of?
Explores the issue of list size against list value, and explains how a fear of shrinking our list stops us from taking necessary steps to clean up our lists.
Removing unresponsive addresses from your email list
Kills one list hygiene myth and then lists the reasons why you should consider removing email addresses that aren't responding to your messages.
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Bounce handling best practices
When does a bounce message mean it's time to delete the offending email address?
Silent deletes
Takes us through the concept of the "silent delete," where ISPs and corporations divert your incoming email to a large black hole.
Introduction to list hygiene
Podcast covering the basics of what to do with all those addresses before and after sending out an email.
Weeding our your list
Offers advice on how to clean up your list before you send out that first email.
Slashing lists in the name of quality
Explains how and why CBS SportsLine asked everyone to reconfirm their subscription or get dumped from the list. Commentary on the article here.
Better bounce management
Looks at what your bounce system should present you with in terms of information, so you have something to work with when it comes to improving email rejection rates.
Industry standard for list cleaning
Looks at the issue of non-responsive email addresses and how you might deal with them.
Keeping it clean
A list of the different things that matter when it comes to list hygiene...it's not just about deleting dead addresses.
Reactivating a dead address
Explains why unresponsive addresses hurt your delivery rates and then suggests what you might do about it.
List hygiene tips
Practical advice on how to isolate inactive recipients from your list and then re-engage them so they start responding again to your messages.
Reclaim bad addresses - carefully
Explains some of technical jargon behind bounces and how you might set about returning "dead" addresses to your list.
It apparently can pay to get permission again
Explains the benefits gained by one non-profit after asking readers of their newsletter to reconfirm their subscription.
Trimming the deadwood
Explains why and how to cull a list of of those addresses that never respond to (or open) your email.
Is Your E-Mail List Clean or Dirty?
Argues in favor of some simple list hygiene practices.
The Art of Bounce Management
Some rules of thumb to use when managing bounces, giving guidance on what to look for and when to take action.
Clever Tactics to Update Bad Addresses on Your Email List More Easily
Reviews a procedure to turn bad email addresses into good ones.
Reconfirmation Messages: Clean Up Your List!
Advice on clearing out the "dead" addresses on your permission-based house list and the role of membership reconfirmations.
Put Your Email Lists on a Diet
Explains why you need to rid your list of certain addresses, even if they're not apparently bouncing.
Bounce Basics
Runs over some bounce basics - what are they? What are the different types? And what useful information do they tell you?
Increase Delivery Rates With Active Bounce Management
Bounce basics, plus practical suggestions for minimizing bounce levels.
Are Bounces Lying to You?
Important information if you're using broadcast email.