Almost 1 in 7 marketing emails never reaches the mailbox they were intended for (1).
This highlights, not only, the challenges of email deliverability but also underscores the critical importance of effective email address validation. Despite its vital role in the success of email marketing campaigns, several myths surround email validation, leading to misunderstandings and missed opportunities.
Here at Email Hippo, we can help you debunk these myths, clarify the facts, and help you understand how to leverage email validation to maximise your marketing efforts.
Myth 1: Email Validation Is Just for Large Businesses
Statement of Myth: Many believe that only large corporations need to worry about email validation due to their vast customer bases.
Debunking: Email validation is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Small to medium businesses, in particular, can benefit enormously as it ensures that their marketing efforts are as targeted and efficient as possible, saving resources and increasing campaign effectiveness.
Myth 2: Email Validation and Email Verification Are the Same
Statement of Myth: There’s a common confusion that email validation is synonymous with email verification.
Debunking: Email validation checks if an email address is constructed correctly—it’s the right format and structure. Email verification goes a step further by ensuring that the email address not only exists but is also active and capable of receiving mail. Understanding this distinction can greatly impact your approach to list cleaning.
Myth 3: Email Validation Needs to be Done Only Once
Statement of Myth: Another myth is that email lists only need to be validated once a year or so.
Debunking: However, email addresses constantly change as people switch jobs, internet service providers, or email providers. To maintain a clean and accurate email list, frequent validation is necessary. Regularly validating email lists ensures that your communication efforts remain effective and that your messages reach the intended recipients. This practice not only improves deliverability but also helps in preserving your sender reputation by reducing bounce rates.
Myth 4: Email Delivery is Guaranteed
Statement of Myth: One of the biggest myths is that email delivery is guaranteed once an email address is validated.
Debunking: The truth is, email delivery relies on the best-effort Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and is subject to various factors like spam filters, blacklists, and recipient server policies. Even if an email address is valid, successful delivery cannot be guaranteed. While email validation ensures that the email address is correctly formatted, the domain is active with a mail server and an email address exists, it does not control the myriad of external factors that could divert your emails away from the intended inbox.
Myth 5: Email Validation Is Too Expensive
Statement of Myth: Especially among startups and small businesses, there’s a notion that email validation isn’t worth the investment.
Debunking: Considering the cost of email marketing and the potential loss due to poor deliverability, email validation is a cost-effective solution. It helps to concentrate your efforts on known customers and prospects and manages your database to ensure you don't throw away valuable data or keep worthless data.
Email validation can dramatically improve deliverability and campaign performance, making it a wise investment for any business serious about email marketing. Make sure you look beyond the myths and consider the real benefits that proper email validation can offer.
Are you ready to clean your email list and improve your deliverability? Try Email Hippo’s validation services today and see the difference for yourself. Join us in our next post where we will explore advanced features of email validation that can further enhance your marketing efforts
