Understanding BIMI – The Latest In Email Authentication

Email marketing continues to thrive because it innovates quickly to satisfy the needs of consumers. One of the latest developments in email authentication does just that: Brand Indicators for Message Identification, otherwise known as BIMI.

BIMI is a new method of brand identification and email authentication that is notable because it’s the first email identification method that is visible to the end user—the subscriber. BIMI is akin to a driver’s license for technology; it helps users determine which emails are fake and which are real by validating the identity of the sender.

BIMI is a big deal because it is visible on the consumer side. Your subscribers will be able to see your unique BIMI logo in their inbox, which shows that the sender is who they say they are. This added trust, and the additional opportunity for marketers to brand themselves, is sure to help marketers improve email deliverability and transparency with customers that recognize their brand. So while BIMI is no magic wand for improving your in-boxing with ISPs, it could very well help your emails get opened by recipients that identify and trust your brand.

One caveat is that BIMI is so new, the only email client currently supporting the technology is Yahoo. However, Gmail is working to support BIMI by early 2020. It’s also important to note that BIMI can only be implemented by brands that have strong deliverability, which means a good domain and IP reputation, as well as positive subscriber engagement. Healthy open rates, coupled with the volume of emails being sent, will help encourage BIMI implementation.

While BIMI is still very new in the world of email marketing, be an early adopter and begin understanding how you can incorporate the technology into your future campaigns. Now is the time to assess your brand’s sending cadence, deliverability, and blacklist check, so that you’re ready to hit the ground running when BIMI implementation is more fully developed.

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