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In an unprecedented move, Gmail and Yahoo are working together to fight spam.
They have set up new rules aimed at protecting people from junk mail.
To ensure your marketing emails land in Gmail and Yahoo inboxes, your business must meet these four requirements by February 2024.
You need to prove you are who you say you are.
To do this, you must authenticate your sender IP addresses and domains using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These are tools that help verify your sender’s identity.
Even non-sending domains should be authenticated.
For the first time, Gmail and Yahoo have clearly defined their spam complaint rate thresholds.
For optimal deliverability, you should aim to keep your spam complaint rate below 0.10%.
However, if it’s 0.30% or higher for a long time, your business might get blocked.
You must make it easy for your subscribers to opt out from your emails.
This should be done through the use of list-unsubscribe headers. This feature allows recipients to unsubscribe with a single click.
While these headers are usually enabled by default at most ESPs (Email Service Providers), you must ensure they are active. Disabling them could impact deliverability.
If someone chooses to unsubscribe from your emails, you should honor their request within 2 days.
While this is faster than the 10 days allowed by the CAN-SPAM Act, Gmail and Yahoo believe quicker processing is better.
So, in simple terms, you need to prove your business is real, make it easy to unsubscribe from your emails, process unsubscribes quickly, and keep spam complaints low.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure your emails reach their intended recipients and avoid the dreaded spam folder.
Remember, keeping your audience engaged and happy is the ultimate goal, and a clean inbox is the first step towards building a strong relationship with your subscribers.