Back in October 2015, Google announced that Gmail will be moved to a strict DMARC policy starting in June 2016.
What You Need to Know
This month, Gmail will alter their DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) authentication policy to reject emails sent “from” an @gmail.com email address if they are sent from an email marketing software, such as MailChimp, Constant Contact or Marketo. This change will cause emails using a Gmail “from” email address to either bounce or be sent to the spam folder for mailbox providers like Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and Comcast.
The goal with these changes is to prevent hackers from getting into user accounts, copy their address books, then spoof messages from the hacked user to their contacts.
DMARC is an email validation system that helps companies and organizations protect themselves from fraudulent emails being sent using their domain.
How This Will Affect Your Email Marketing
If your small business currently uses a Gmail.com email address as the “from” address when sending emails from your email marketing software, you will probably experience a higher bounce rate or lower click-open rates.
What Should You Do
If you currently use a Gmail email address in the “from” address field through your email marketing platform, change it to a non-Gmail email address as soon as possible. If you can, use an email address with a domain you control, such as your company’s domain name. Also, avoid Yahoo and AOL email addresses, since they have already changed their DMARC policy.
If you’re unsure how to make this change with your email marketing efforts or need help with email marketing in general, contact GreenMellen Media today!
