The One Email Marketing Mistake I’ll Never Make Again

Hey there, list owner!

So, you’ve got a new subscriber—fantastic! 🎉

But before you bust out the chicken dance (or whatever your victory move is), let’s talk about something that could save your sender reputation, your deliverability, and your sanity.

🚨 Email Verification. 🚨

It might not sound thrilling, but trust me—it’s the difference between landing in the inbox and landing in email marketing purgatory (a.k.a. the spam folder).

I learned this lesson the hard way back when I was just a young buck in the email game.

Back in the day—before Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or the fancy tools we have now—I had zero clue about proper email practices. My buddy introduced me to a guy who had just acquired an email list and wanted to start sending campaigns.

So, what did I do? I Googled “email marketing software,” found some sketchy open-source tool, and spent an entire night installing it. After hours of tinkering, I finally had it set up and ready to go.

With 50,000 emails in my arsenal, I hit send… and waited.

…And waited.

…And waited.

24 hours later:

📉 Open Rate: 9%
📉 Deliverability: 50% of the emails never even made it.
📉 Bounces: Off the charts—most of the emails didn’t even exist!

Then came the dreaded “Hey, what happened with the email? I didn’t get any replies!”

Oof. That was my first (painful) lesson in email marketing:

👉 If an email doesn’t exist, it can’t receive an email.

Seems obvious now, right?

But at the time, I had no idea that sending emails to non-existent or invalid addresses sends red flags to ISPs (Inbox Service Providers).

If you’re emailing fake, mistyped, or inactive addresses, here’s what happens:

❌ Hard bounces damage your sender reputation.
❌ Spam traps get you flagged by ISPs.
❌ Poor deliverability leads to lower inbox placement.
❌ Wasted effort—why spend time crafting emails that no one will ever read?

The solution?

Validate every single email address at sign-up or checkout.

✅ Use real-time validation – Catch typos and fake emails before they hit your list.
✅ Implement email verification – Send all subscribers to an email validation service for verification.
✅ Run regular list hygiene checks – Remove inactive, bouncing, or unengaged emails.

Trust me, I’ve been there, and skipping this step is like trying to win a race with a flat tire—you’re not getting far.

So, do yourself (and your inbox placement) a favor: verify those emails before you hit send. 🚀

BEFORE YOU GO

🚀 Smart Feed – A steady flow of engaged, high-intent subscribers, delivered directly to your list every day.

🔎 Smart Pixel – Turn anonymous website visitors into verified email subscribers—without forms or friction.

📨 Smart Delivery – Keep your emails out of spam and in the inbox with expert-driven deliverability solutions.

Learn more about how we can help grow your list and improve deliverability — with precision and consistency. It's quick, pressure-free, and on your timeline.

Stay sharp,

Chris Miquel

PS: Ever made an email mistake you’ll never forget? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your war stories!