HMBT #301: Your List Needs Therapy

HMBT #301: Your List Needs Therapy

From Hank's Business and Marketing Tips by Hank Hoffmeier

January 20, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 301

About this episode

Hank Hoffmeier interviews email deliverability expert Matthew Vernhout about the importance of data quality and technical standards for successful email marketing.

📬 In this episode, I speak with email deliverability expert  Matthew Vernhout  of Email Industries to break down what really determines whether your emails reach the inbox—or land in the spam folder. The conversation kicks off with the most critical factor: your  data quality . 🧹 If you’re using clean, first-party, permission-based email lists, you’re already ahead. But if you’re purchasing lists or using scraped data, expect problems. They discuss  express vs. implied consent , global email regulations like  CASL ,  GDPR , and the consequences of bad data—including poor reputation, spam traps, and honey pots. 📉 The golden rule? “Do good things, good things happen. Do bad things, bad things happen.” 💡 🔐 The second half digs into  technical must-haves  like  SPF, DKIM, and DMARC —which are now mandatory for bulk email senders thanks to new standards from Google and Yahoo. They also unpack  BIMI , which lets brands display their logo in the inbox (✅ a trust booster) and why subject lines still matter for engagement (❌ avoid “Your Weekly Update” or overusing emojis). The episode wraps with practical advice: don’t…

People in this episode

Guest: Matthew Vernhout

Topics covered

  • email deliverability
  • data quality
  • email regulations
  • technical email standards

Keywords

  • CASL
  • GDPR
  • SPF
  • DKIM
  • DMARC
  • BIMI

Mentioned in this episode

Products: DMARC, Email Industries

Books & works: Your Weekly Update

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