In February 2024 Yahoo and Google have announced stricter inbox and privacy policy requirements. Here is what these requirements mean for your business:
- Stricter Adherence to Domain Authentication. In order to be compliant, businesses need to have the following three requirements authenticated:
- Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is used to authenticate the sender of an email and verify that the server is authorized to send email for a specific domain, for example: marketingsupernova.co.
- DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM): DKIM is a cryptographic authentication method that proves an email originated from a specific domain and has not been changed during delivery, for example: email.marketingsupernova.co.
- Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC): DMARC is a specification that combines both SPF and DKIM to determine the authenticity of a message. Both domain.com and email.domain.com must align.
- Easy Unsubscribe Processes:
- Both Gmail and Yahoo now require senders to provide a visible unsubscribe button and a single-click process for users to unsubscribe. Therefore, the multi-step email unsubscribe process (confirm your unsubscription or provide feedback on why you wish to unsubscribe) needs to be sunsetted towards a one-click unsubscribe option.
- Businesses have two days to implement a streamlined unsubscribe request.
- Monitoring Spam Thresholds:
- The new regulations require keeping the spam threshold under 0.3%.
This number is not as shocking because many ESPs have been very vigilant about keeping the spam level below 0.1%, or one message marked as spam out of every 1,000 sent. The best way to keep this number low is to monitor disengaged subscribers before they click the spam button and promptly respond to any spikes in your spam complaint rate by cleaning your list and reviewing your sending practices.
Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in your emails being sent to the junk folder or rejected altogether, underscoring the importance of compliance. For instance, one of our new clients sent approximately 6000 emails to a new audience before seeking our assistance. This action led to a 25% decrease in their weekly newsletter’s open rate.
At Marketing Supernova, we are abreast of email and marketing privacy regulations and offer this as a service to our Premium and Pro tiers. Schedule your free first email today.
