How long do Soft Bounces last?
A soft bounce product or services introduction is typically resolved within a few hours to a few days. Many email providers will automatically retry the email a few times within 72 hours. If the email still cannot be delivered after several attempts, it may be classified as a hard bounce.
Key differences between hard and soft hitting
Understanding the difference between hard and soft bounces is essential to effective email list management. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:
The nature of bounce
Hard Bounce : Permanent The email address is invalid and you cannot send email to that address again.
Soft bounce : Temporary This is a temporary issue and emails may not be sent after trying again.
Causes of bounce back
Hard bounces are caused by invalid or non-existent email addresses, invalid domains, or blocked addresses.
Soft bounce is caused by temporary issues such as a full mailbox, server issues, or size limit.
Impact on email delivery
Hard Bounces : This is extremely detrimental to your email reputation. Frequent bounces can cause your emails to be marked as spam and affect your sender reputation.
Soft bounces : They cause less damage than hard bounces, but if left unchecked, they can also have a long-term negative impact on your sender’s reputation.
Management strategy
Hard Bounce : Delete Immediately. Don't waste time or resources trying to resend emails to invalid email addresses.
Soft bounce : Check periodically, try sending the email again and remove the address only if the bounce email still appears after multiple attempts.
Also Read: 7 Email Marketing Tips to Increase Ecommerce Sales
Best practices for reducing bounces
Bounces are inevitable, but you can minimize their impact by implementing the right email marketing strategy. Here are some key practices to help keep your bounce rate in check:
1. Keep your email list clean
Clean your email list regularly to ensure it only contains valid email addresses. Use an email validation tool to check the quality of your list before sending emails.
2. Use double opt-in
Two-step verification allows users to confirm their email address when they subscribe to your list, reducing the chances of adding incorrect or misspelled email addresses to your list.
3. Check your bounce rate regularly.
Track your bounce rate after each drip email campaign. If you notice an increase in bounces, investigate the cause and take action immediately.
4. Segment your items
Segment your email list based on engagement and regularly remove inactive or disengaged users. This reduces the chances of sending emails to non-responsive or non-existent email addresses.
5. Avoid spam traps
Spam traps are email addresses set up specifically to catch spammers. These email addresses are not real people, and sending emails to them may result in bounces. Make sure you keep your list clean and use tools to verify your email addresses.
