Email remains the backbone of business communication, yet many companies don’t realize how much bad email data is costing them. From high bounce rates and spam folder placement to lost leads and wasted marketing spend, poor email hygiene can cripple a business’s ability to reach customers.
In a recent episode of the UpYourStack Podcast with Aptitude 8 Co-CEO Noah Berk, we talked with Brian Minick, COO of ZeroBounce, about why clean email lists matter and how businesses can protect their sender reputation.
What is ZeroBounce?
ZeroBounce helps businesses validate, clean, and protect their email data so their messages reach real people—not dead inboxes. The platform integrates seamlessly with HubSpot and other CRMs to automatically verify emails before they enter your database.
Why Bad Email Data is a Big Problem
Many businesses don’t realize how quickly email lists decay. A third of all emails become invalid or inactive every year, leading to:
- High bounce rates, which signal spam filters to block future emails
- Lost marketing dollars spent on undeliverable messages
- Damaged sender reputation, making it harder to land in real inboxes
- Wasted sales efforts on non-existent leads
- If an email is bad, the whole record is useless
How ZeroBounce Keeps Email Lists Clean
ZeroBounce provides real-time email validation that helps businesses:
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Catch typos before a form is submitted
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Remove invalid and fake emails from databases
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Prevent bots and fraud from corrupting lead lists
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Improve deliverability and protect sender reputation
One of ZeroBounce’s most powerful features is its HubSpot integration, which allows users to:
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Validate emails directly within HubSpot forms
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Automatically clean imported contact lists
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Remove bad emails before they hurt deliverability
The Impact of Poor Email Hygiene
If you’re collecting leads from forms, sales outreach, or purchased lists, bad emails slip through all the time. Many companies only realize the problem when they notice:
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Lower open rates and engagement
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More emails landing in spam folders
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An increase in unsubscribes and complaints
Without regular validation, businesses burn money on ineffective campaigns and lose opportunities to connect with real customers.
Why Email is Here to Stay
Despite claims that email is becoming obsolete, Brian disagrees. Email is still the foundation of digital identity for nearly every business.
From marketing campaigns to account verification, email remains the primary way companies communicate with customers. The key is ensuring that you’re sending emails to real, active recipients—which is exactly what ZeroBounce helps with.
Lessons from ZeroBounce’s Growth
ZeroBounce’s success didn’t happen overnight. Brian shared an important lesson: There is no magic bullet for growth.
Instead, success comes from:
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Small, consistent improvements
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Embracing failure and learning from it
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Listening to customers and solving real problems
By focusing on data quality, customer service, and speed, ZeroBounce has grown from a small startup to a company with more than 400,000 customers worldwide.
Final Thoughts
If your business relies on email marketing or sales outreach, email validation is not optional— it’s essential. Keeping your email list clean ensures better deliverability, higher engagement, and stronger customer connections.
Learn more about ZeroBounce: zerobounce.net
