One Easy Trick to Avoid a Customer’s Junk Box.

“Oh! I see it- it went to my spam box!”

This one sentence is spoken by customers at countless monument shops across the country. It is a “Eureka!” type moment for them when they realize your team really and truly sent that email…it just didn’t reach them.

Whether it be a quote, a proof, or an invoice, failing to reach your customers is simply bad business. Now, you may be sitting there thinking, “Well, Alison, I can’t control the fact that my email goes to spam.”

But, oh, Virginia! You can!

On February 1, 2024, both Yahoo and Google Mail providers fought back against phishing, spam, and email spoofing. In an effort to protect their clients, they began requiring bulk senders to have Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. Otherwise known as DMARC.

Bulk Senders- Who Are They?

You may be thinking, “I am hardly a bulk sender!” But the truth is, you likely are. You’d be amazed by how many emails your company sends per day. Emails for approvals, quotes, newsletters, invoices, and basic communications all add up. And before you know it, you are a bulk sender.

What is DMARC?

We already noted DMARC stands for Domain-bed Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. But what in the world does that mean? Basically, it means you are telling the world how to treat the emails sent by your domain. But the more in-depth definition is listed below.

In-Depth DMARC Definition

DMARC is an email authentication protocol that builds on two earlier protocols: Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM). By aligning these protocols, DMARC provides a tool for email domain owners to protect their domain from unauthorized use, including phishing attacks and other fraudulent activities.

When an email is sent, DMARC checks whether the email aligns with the sender’s policies. If not, the receiving mail server can decide either to deliver, quarantine, or reject the email based on your DMARC settings.

Why is DMARC Important?

Implementing DMARC settings correctly can help safeguard your email communications, bolster your domain’s reputation, and protect your audience from potential threats. If you have not set up DMARC correctly, some servers, including GMAIL, will flag your message as spam and the client will not see it.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what DMARC is, why it matters, and how you can set it up for your own domain.

What DMARC Protects Against

1. Protection Against Spoofing and Phishing: DMARC significantly reduces the success rate of email spoofing, keeping your email recipients safe from phishing scams.
2. Enhanced Deliverability: By establishing DMARC, you can increase the likelihood of your legitimate emails reaching the inbox rather than getting lost in spam folders.
3. Brand Reputation: Having a DMARC policy signals to recipients that your domain is secure and well-managed, enhancing your brand’s reputation.
4. Visibility and Reporting: DMARC provides valuable reports that indicate who is sending email from your domain and how they are doing so. This insight allows you to adjust your email practices accordingly.

Setting Up DMARC

Setting up DMARC requires a few steps that you can totally do on your own. However, if you do not feel comfortable doing this on your own, you can skip this part. Just pick up the phone, call your web person, and scroll straight past this section.

1. Implement SPF and DKIM: Before you can set up DMARC, ensure that your domain has SPF and DKIM configured correctly. SPF helps verify the sender’s IP address, while DKIM provides an encrypted signature that validates the email’s authenticity.
2. Create a DMARC Record: A DMARC record is a TXT record published in your domain’s DNS settings. Here’s a basic structure you can use:

   v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:your-email@example.com; ruf=mailto:your-email@example.com; pct=100; sp=none;

• v=DMARC1: Indicates the version of DMARC being used.
• p=none: This policy indicates no specific action to take on non-compliant emails. You can later switch this to quarantine or reject.
• rua: The email address where aggregate reports will be sent.
• ruf: The email address for forensic reports (optional).
• pct: The percentage of emails to which the DMARC policy should be applied.
• sp: This applies a policy to subdomains.

Once you create your DMARC record, you need to do the following:

1. Monitor DMARC Reports: Once your DMARC record is active, start monitoring the reports you receive. These will tell you about the messages that pass or fail DMARC checks, allowing you to make necessary adjustments.
2. Adjust Your Policy: After monitoring for some time and ensuring that legitimate emails are passing DMARC checks, you can gradually change your policy from none to quarantine or reject to improve security.
3. Regularly Update and Review: DMARC settings should not be a one-and-done task. Regularly review your email authentication strategies and adjust your policies as needed. This includes keeping an eye on the reports for any unusual activity.

Conclusion

Setting up a DMARC record is an essential step to ensure your emails are seen. If you are techy you can set up the DMARC record on your own- it’s easy! OR, if you are just techy enough to get by, and use GoDaddy to manage your domains, you can grab my Step by Step Guide to Setting Up DMARC for GoDaddy. It’s easy to follow and a lot less expensive than calling your tech person!

Of course, less techy folks will want to reach out to their web provider and ask to have it set up. It should not take any more than 5-15 minutes of their time.