In the context of leads, what does "hard bounced" refer to?

"Hard bounced" specifically refers to a failed email delivery due to permanent reasons. When an email hard bounces, it means that the recipient's email address is invalid or non-existent, causing the email server to permanently reject the message. This situation indicates that the address cannot receive emails, and typically, it requires the marketer to remove or update the email address in their database to maintain list health and improve deliverability rates.

The distinction between a hard bounce and other types of email delivery failures is critical in email marketing. For instance, a temporary delivery failure, which is not the correct answer, would involve issues such as a full inbox or a temporary server problem that might allow for future successful deliveries. Unsubscribe requests signify that a user wishes to no longer receive emails, while successful email deliveries indicate that the message reached the intended recipient without issues. Thus, understanding the concept of hard bounces helps marketers effectively manage their lead databases and optimize future communication strategies.