What causes high bounce rates during IP warming, and how can they be fixed?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests to investigate where the invalid addresses originate from, and to focus on plugging that source, guessing that the web channel may be a good starting point.
Email marketer from MailerLite states that improper email list segmentation can lead to high bounce rates if irrelevant content is sent to subscribers. Refining your segments ensures that emails are targeted, reducing bounces and improving engagement.
Email marketer from Reddit user r/marketing suggests that implementing a confirmed opt-in process ensures that subscribers have actively verified their email address. This eliminates typos and invalid addresses, drastically reducing bounce rates during IP warming.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that invalid addresses at scale indicate poor data validation, which can make the sender appear as a spammer to message filters.
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that without proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), your emails are more likely to be marked as spam, leading to bounces. Ensure your authentication is correctly configured before and during IP warming.
Email marketer from Gmass states that low engagement rates (opens, clicks) can indirectly increase bounces as ISPs see unengaged subscribers as potential spam traps. Focus on creating valuable content and targeting the right audience during IP warming.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that high bounce rates during IP warming can be caused by sending to old or invalid email addresses. He recommends using email validation tools to clean your list and improve deliverability.
Email marketer from HubSpot shares that a key cause of high bounce rates is outdated or purchased email lists. They advise using double opt-in and regularly scrubbing your list to remove inactive subscribers, therefore fixing the bounce rates.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that poor data hygiene, like sending to old or unengaged subscribers, results in high bounce rates. Regular data cleansing and re-engagement campaigns are vital during IP warming to maintain a healthy list.
Email marketer from Marketing Over Coffee Forum states the bounce rate will be affected if you warm up too quickly. Its essential to start with a small volume and gradually increase it to avoid triggering spam filters and high bounce rates.
Email marketer from Reddit user r/emailmarketing explains that using a real-time email verification service on signup forms can prevent invalid addresses from entering your list in the first place. This proactive approach minimizes bounce rates during IP warming.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that high bounce rates during IP warming can indicate issues with list hygiene. Focus on removing invalid addresses and those who haven't engaged recently to improve your sender reputation.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares using a seed list during IP warming, and monitoring where those test emails land (inbox, spam, blocked) is crucial. A high bounce rate within the seed list indicates serious deliverability issues that need immediate attention.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that a high bounce rate means email address requirements are putting people off giving real addresses due to a lack of trust or perceived value. He recommends offering a "skip" option and checking submitted addresses in realtime.
Expert from Email Geeks warns that sending repeated messages to nonexistent addresses can harm your reputation.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that the data hasn't been bounce handled. She recommends to inform whoever did the segmentation that they need to fix it.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from SendGrid emphasizes that a high bounce rate negatively impacts sender reputation. During IP warming, it's crucial to maintain a low bounce rate by ensuring a clean email list and gradually increasing sending volume.
Documentation from SparkPost advises regularly cleaning email lists to remove invalid or inactive addresses, which reduces bounce rates. This is critical during IP warming to establish a positive sending reputation.
Documentation from Mailjet explains that hard bounces occur due to invalid or non-existent email addresses, while soft bounces are temporary issues like a full inbox or server problems. Monitoring both during IP warming helps identify data quality and infrastructure issues.