Let’s Talk About Email: Bruce Herwig of Image Source
Bruce Herwig of Image Source may appreciate an image that is colorful and crisp, but he likes his emails a bit more streamlined. Bruce is no stranger to ZeroBounce. He uses our email validation service, and we’re delighted to feature him in the Let’s Talk About Email series.
He’s the Marketing Director for Image Source, a top full-service IT Management firm and Xerox printers dealer.
Read on to find out how Bruce thinks brands should send relevant, useful content. But not every day.
Let’s talk about email with Bruce Herwig from Image Source!
The best email you received today:
I got confirmation from HR that I’m headed to some training in Boston!
The last email you sent:
An inquiry about mousepads I ordered.
Your biggest email pet peeve:
Email signatures that are too long, have too many colors and too many graphics.
If you emailed a well known person, anybody at all – who would it be?
Marketing guru Seth Godin. I’ve always appreciated his insights and encouragement.
How do you feel when a company newsletter lets you know that you can reply and a real person will read it?
It seems silly… who else would read it?
This is a great point from Bruce, but all too often companies use a no-reply address. We discussed this with AWeber’s Tom Kulzer.
What’s the number one reason you unsubscribe from an email?
The content is not relevant.
Use your imagination, what’s an email you’d love to get?
An information that is timely, informative and has links to more information that is helpful.
What goes through your head when you buy something and without asking, a company starts emailing you?
I’ve made the purchase, so I should expect some communication. But some companies now think we’re best friends and email every day. STOP IT!
What’s the best way someone could grow their email list?
Delivering relevant, consistent, interesting content is key. Becoming a guest contributor using someone else’s list can put you in front of new eyeballs. Most everything else is a gimmick that may grow your list… but won’t necessarily grow your readership.
What’s the biggest no-no in an email campaign?
If you haven’t used a particular list in a while, don’t just send it… Make sure you run it through some sort of email validation service first. We use ZeroBounce with great success. Clearing out the duds will really help your delivery and open rates.
What’s a brand email you always open?
As a hobby, I’m an amateur astrophotographer, so anything from Canon, ZWO or iOptron get top priority. For work, anything from Adobe, Apple, Hubspot, Salesforce or LinkedIn.
How do you feel about serious companies using humor in their newsletters?
One of the main points of newsletters is they give you a wider view of an entire company. Humor is part of our world and experience, so as long as it’s done tastefully and is not “off brand,” I would say use it sparingly.
Let’s say there’s someone you don’t really know. Would you prefer calling them or emailing them?
It depends on the urgency of my need. If it’s urgent, I would pick up the phone. If not, an email introduction is usually a great way to get a conversation going.
What do you love most about email?
It’s super-fast, convenient and I can send and respond on my timeframe.
How Bruce Herwig used ZeroBounce to reduce bounce rates
It’s not the first time we talked email with Bruce Herwig.
He first reached out to us a few years ago because Image Source was getting a high bounce rate on their email campaigns.
Like 19% high.
He first tested ZeroBounce by validating 10% of Image Source’s email list. Once he saw the results, he realized how important email validation is if you want to land in the inbox.
Bruce was a perfect candidate to talk about the transformation when you eliminate bad email data. Image Source is now aware of what happens when email hygiene is ignored – and won’t go down that road again.
Read the case study on how Image Source rejuvenated their email list and how that improved their overall email results.