Summary
The Yahoo and Google updates in 2024 enforce stricter email authentication, list management, and unsubscribe requirements for all senders, significantly impacting B2B email practices. B2B senders must implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, maintain clean and engaged lists, and provide easy unsubscribe options. Failure to comply results in deliverability issues, potential blocking, and damage to sender reputation. The changes particularly affect cold emailers and those using purchased lists, emphasizing a shift towards permission-based marketing and relationship building. Active monitoring of sender reputation and spam rates is crucial for B2B senders to adapt to these changes.
Key findings
- Authentication Mandate: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication are now mandatory for all senders, including B2B, to ensure emails reach the inbox.
- List Hygiene Importance: Maintaining a clean email list by removing unengaged recipients and honoring unsubscribe requests is essential to avoid high bounce and complaint rates.
- Consent-Based Marketing: Focusing on obtaining explicit consent from recipients and building relationships is vital, especially for B2B senders who previously relied on cold emailing.
- Reputation Management Crucial: Active monitoring and management of sender reputation, including complaint rates and spam scores, are now essential for maintaining deliverability.
- Cold Emailing Impacted: B2B senders relying on purchased lists or aggressive outbound tactics will face significant challenges due to the new requirements.
- Universal Application: The updates apply to ALL senders, regardless of consumer vs. business recipients.
Key considerations
- Implement Authentication Protocols: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured for your sending domain(s).
- Enhance List Management Practices: Segment your email list, remove inactive subscribers, and implement a clear and easy unsubscribe process.
- Prioritize Engagement and Consent: Focus on building relationships with your audience and obtaining explicit consent before sending emails.
- Monitor Sender Reputation Proactively: Regularly check your sender reputation with tools like Google Postmaster Tools and monitor complaint rates.
- Test Deliverability Consistently: Use email testing tools to assess inbox placement rates and identify any potential deliverability issues.
- Sign Up for Feedback Loops: Register with feedback loops offered by major ISPs to receive early warnings on potential deliverability problems.
- Keep Spam Rates Low: Aim for spam rates below 0.1% to avoid penalties and maintain good deliverability.
- Warm Up IP Addresses: Gradually increase sending volume from new IP addresses to establish a good sender reputation.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
The Yahoo and Google updates in early 2024 impose stricter requirements on email senders, significantly impacting B2B email practices. These updates emphasize email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list management (hygiene, segmentation, and consent), and simplified unsubscribe processes. Compliance is crucial for B2B senders to maintain deliverability, avoid spam filters, and protect sender reputation. The changes particularly affect those using cold emailing tactics or purchased lists, necessitating a shift towards permission-based marketing and relationship building.
Key opinions
- Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication are now mandatory for all senders, including B2B, to ensure emails reach the inbox.
- List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing unengaged recipients and honoring unsubscribe requests is essential to avoid high bounce and complaint rates.
- Consent: Focusing on obtaining explicit consent from recipients and building relationships is vital, especially for B2B senders who previously relied on cold emailing.
- Spam Prevention: Stricter spam prevention measures are in place, and B2B senders must proactively monitor their sender reputation and address any issues promptly.
- B2B Impact: B2B senders who depend on purchased lists or aggressive outbound tactics will face significant challenges due to the new requirements.
Key considerations
- Implement Authentication: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured for your sending domain(s).
- Review List Management Practices: Segment your email list, remove inactive subscribers, and implement a clear unsubscribe process.
- Focus on Engagement: Prioritize building relationships with your audience and obtaining explicit consent before sending emails.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Regularly check your sender reputation with tools like Google Postmaster Tools and monitor complaint rates.
- Test Deliverability: Use email testing tools to assess inbox placement rates and identify any potential deliverability issues.
- Signup for Feedback Loops: Register with feedback loops for early warnings on deliverability issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus Blog emphasizes that the updates will impact deliverability for B2B senders who don't follow best practices. Authentication, list hygiene, and engagement are crucial factors in ensuring emails reach the inbox.
29 Aug 2021 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailToolTester Blog specifies that B2B senders need to ensure their emails are properly authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Additionally, they should monitor their sender reputation and address any issues promptly.
17 Jan 2024 - EmailToolTester Blog
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
The Yahoo and Google updates impact B2B senders by requiring them to adhere to the same email best practices as B2C senders, focusing on authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene (suppressing unengaged recipients, honoring unsubscribe requests), and sender reputation management (monitoring complaint rates). The updates are a response to the belief that B2B senders can spam anyone they want, and reinforce the need for all senders to obtain consent and make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe.
Key opinions
- Universal Requirements: The Yahoo and Google updates apply equally to both B2B and B2C email senders.
- Authentication is Key: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for B2B senders to ensure deliverability.
- List Hygiene Matters: Maintaining a clean email list by suppressing unengaged recipients and honoring unsubscribe requests is crucial.
- Reputation Management: B2B senders need to actively manage their sender reputation by monitoring complaint rates.
- Consent and Ease of Unsubscribe: It's important to make sure the recipients want the mail and make it easy to unsubscribe.
Key considerations
- Implement Authentication: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly set up for your sending domains.
- Clean Your Lists: Regularly remove unengaged recipients and promptly process unsubscribe requests.
- Monitor Complaint Rates: Pay close attention to complaint rates and take corrective actions if they are too high.
- Obtain Consent: Ensure that recipients have explicitly opted in to receive your emails.
- Simplify Unsubscribing: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the Google and Yahoo updates mean that ALL senders, including B2B, must authenticate their mail and make sure they send wanted mail, and make it easy for users to unsubscribe. Senders should monitor complaint levels to make sure they aren't too high.
21 Oct 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that B2B senders generally believe they can spam anyone they want. The Yahoo and Google requirements make no mention of consumer vs business recipients, just requirements for email senders.
26 Oct 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
The Yahoo and Google updates necessitate B2B email senders to comply with specific technical guidelines to ensure deliverability. These include setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication to verify sender identity and prevent spoofing. Additionally, maintaining a low spam rate (below 0.1%) and providing easy one-click unsubscribe options are crucial. Tools like Mxtoolbox are available to check and validate DNS records for proper configuration.
Key findings
- Authentication Mandate: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential authentication standards for all B2B senders.
- Low Spam Rate: Maintaining a spam rate below 0.1% is a key requirement for avoiding penalties.
- Easy Unsubscribe: Providing a simple and easy one-click unsubscribe option is mandatory.
- DMARC Protection: DMARC helps protect against unauthorized use of domains and email spoofing.
- Validation Tools: Tools like Mxtoolbox can be used to validate the correct configuration of DNS records.
Key considerations
- Implement SPF, DKIM, DMARC: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication for your sending domain to verify your identity.
- Monitor Spam Rates: Regularly monitor your spam rates and take corrective action if they exceed 0.1%.
- Simplify Unsubscribe Process: Provide a clear and easy one-click unsubscribe option in all emails.
- Regularly Check DNS Records: Use tools like Mxtoolbox to regularly check and validate your DNS records for proper configuration.
- Understand DMARC Policies: Implement a DMARC policy to instruct receiving mail servers on how to handle unauthenticated email appearing to come from your domain.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support outlines guidelines for bulk email senders, including B2B senders. Key requirements include setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, keeping spam rates below 0.1%, and making it easy for recipients to unsubscribe.
28 Jul 2023 - Google Support
Technical article
Documentation from Mxtoolbox explains that B2B senders can use Mxtoolbox to check their DNS records for SPF, DKIM and DMARC. This provides tools to ensure they are correctly configured and validates whether emails are authenticating correctly, reducing the chances of getting flagged as spam.
24 Aug 2023 - Mxtoolbox
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