1. Authenticate Your Domain
Authentication is a critical step in ensuring your emails are trusted by ISPs. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols helps verify that your emails are coming from legitimate sources.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Specifies which mail servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to your emails, ensuring their integrity.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Aligns SPF and DKIM with your domain and provides reporting on email delivery.
2. Implement BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)
BIMI is an emerging email specification that allows brands to display their logos alongside authenticated emails, adding an extra layer of trust and visibility.
Email with BIMI are hence less likely to land in the spam folder.
What is BIMI? BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It lets you display your brand's logo in the recipient's inbox next to your email.
Benefits of BIMI Enhances brand recognition, builds trust, and can improve open rates.
How to Implement BIMI Ensure your domain is authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Then follow BIMI guidelines to add your brand's logo to your DNS records.
How To Stop Emails From Going To Spam Folder (Updated Guide)
3. Adapt to Changing Google and Yahoo Email Sending Rules
In February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo implemented new email rules that impact bulk senders, with knock-on effects for all senders.
Authentication Senders must authenticate emails how to use this database using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Unsubscribe Senders must include a one-click unsubscribe option in all emails and process unsubscribe requests within two days.
Spam rate Senders must keep spam complaints to under 0.3%, ideally under 0.1%.
Domain alignment The Envelope From domain (return_path) must match the Header From (From address) domain.
Formatting Senders must adhere to proper email formatting and headers.
These changes are mandatory and apply to all bulk senders. Google's policy is especially strict for senders who send more than 5,000 emails per day.
And how do these changes affect all senders?
While spam complaints have always been significant, they are now becoming more impactful as a metric influencing where your emails land.
Because of these changes, email service providers (ESPs) are implementing stricter measures to promote email safety, reduce spam, and protect the integrity of inboxes. This results in tighter controls on what gets in and stays out, ultimately impacting all email senders.
To adapt to these changes start with:
Regularly checking the latest guidelines from both Gmail and Yahoo. Adjust your email strategies accordingly to comply with these new rules.
Utilizing email testing and monitoring tools like Google Postmaster and Yahoo Postmaster to monitor your sender reputation and troubleshoot deliverability issues.