Brand Indicator Message Identification (BIMI) is a new movement to improve the visibility of branded email content through the use of official logos. With a BIMI record, an email from a company will display its logo in the email header itself. It is thereby indicating to the user that the email is from a trusted source. BIMI hasn’t entered into widespread adoption yet, but companies should prepare themselves for the future.

What is BIMI Record? Why BIMI is important in Email Marketing?

The Benefits of BIMI for Email Marketing

BIMI is the latest in many actions taken against spam emails and malicious emails. BIMI generates trustworthy emails through the use of BIMI records, which indicate that an email has come from a specific company. By combining BIMI with other authentication services, the number of malicious or spoofed emails can be controlled.

To use BIMI, companies need to select a logo and make the appropriate modifications from their DNS settings. From there, email clients will request a BIMI record from emails when reading emails. Once the BIMI record has been found, the email client will request for the logo and will display the logo next to the customer’s emails automatically. The process will be seamless for the user.

BIMI for Email Deliverability

Users are more likely to click on an email with BIMI. Not only does it indicate that it’s a trustworthy email from a known brand, but it also makes emails more visible. Users will see BIMI emails with a logo displayed next to them, and every other email will have that space blank. This lets them scan for emails they’re most interested in.

As BIMI becomes more popular and supported, customer knowledge regarding BIMI will go up. The more well-supported and this technology is, the more effective it will become. It’s still a growing technology.

Further, since BIMI does require DMARC authentication, it enforces the need for email marketers to go through DMARC authentication — something that MassMailer and Salesforce can handle. It’s advised that email senders use DMARC authentication services as a way to boost their sender reputation. All of this increases email deliverability.

How BIMI Works with DMARC Authentication

BIMI records are connected to DMARC authentication. In order to maintain a BIMI record, a business needs to have a DMARC authentication setup on its domain. BIMI is considered to be a part of DMARC 2.0 by some. DMARC authentication is already advisable to improve the email deliverability.
BIMI is what controls which logo is displayed, but without DMARC authentication, the client cannot be sure that the right company is displaying the right logo.

DMARC authentication can easily contribute to email deliverability. If a company does not invest in setting up DMARC authentication, email clients may reject their emails. DMARC authentication verifies that email has been sent to an individual from where it says it has been. When an email can’t be DMARC authenticated, a recipient cannot be sure that the email came from its stated source.

Guide on What is BIMI Record and its importance in Email Marketing


 

Protecting Users from Phishing Attempts

Companies will use BIMI for email marketing as well as email security. When properly implemented, BIMI records can help protect users from phishing attempts. A common tactic in phishing is to send an individual an email from their bank, credit union, or utility company, stating that they owe them money. An individual may not question this and may click on a link or respond to an email with personally identifiable, financial information.

With BIMI records, users will be able to immediately see that phishing attempts don’t have the same logo of their usual recipient. This will be a significant indicator of a potentially dangerous email.

How to create a BIMI Record

A BIMI logo must be uploaded in the SVG format and must be an exact square, to meet BIMI standards and specifications. Once DMARC authentication has been achieved, a BIMI record can be created through the DNS records. Every domain has a number of DNS records connected to email, web services, and more. Adding a TXT record to your DNS settings will add a BIMI record as well.

Creating a BIMI record requires that you:

Have your SVG logo.
Setup authentication through DMARC.
Be able to modify your DNS settings.

From there, your BIMI logo will show up on supported clients.

 

Use MassMailer to Create BIMI Records for Better Email Deliverability

MassMailer can help your business setup BIMI records, improving email visibility, and email deliverability. As a brand new technology, BIMI requires expertise to set up and authenticate correctly. With included DMARC authentication services and a skilled and knowledgeable team, MassMailer can be used to improve upon multiple aspects of email deliverability.

Once BIMI is set up correctly, users will see a company’s BIMI logo in platforms such as Yahoo! Mail. Adoption of BIMI standards is increasing, and businesses who want to have professional, attractive emails should adopt the new standards as quickly as possible. As it becomes a more widely accepted standard, companies that have attached their logo will have a significant edge.

For more information about how BIMI and DMARC authentication works, connect with the team at MassMailer.

Request for a free demo to get started!