Ask IT to configure DMARC and don’t Let your Marketing team ruin you email reputation!
We rely heavily on email, often overlooking the complex technical setups that ensure its smooth operation. One significant challenge is the evolving landscape of email security standards. Ignoring these standards can lead to your messages landing in spam folders, resulting in missed opportunities, frustration, and miscommunications.
There’s a straightforward solution to ensure your emails reach their intended recipients: ask your IT team to configure DMARC.
What’s Happening to Your Emails and What Changed?
Email providers like Google and Microsoft are constantly improving their ability to identify legitimate emails. A primary function is filtering out improperly authenticated messages, which are then blocked or marked as spam, preventing your customers and clients from seeing them.
Google and Microsoft are increasingly requiring proof that emails genuinely originate from you. They’ve implemented stricter authentication requirements, making DMARC configuration crucial. DMARC is a cloud-based configuration that stores essential information about your domain (e.g., yourcompany.com), which you control. Technically, DMARC instructs servers on how to handle potential issues.
Why This Matters for Your Business
• Companies without DMARC are more likely to have their emails marked as spam.
• Companies with DMARC are perceived as more trustworthy, increasing the likelihood of their emails reaching inboxes.
• Marketing emails, especially those sent via third-party platforms, are particularly vulnerable to being flagged as spam if IT hasn’t configured DMARC properly.
• Third-party services like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Salesforce require additional IT configurations for seamless operation.
• Often, marketing and sales teams use various email services without IT involvement, leading to misconfigurations. The more people involved, the higher the risk of errors. For example, a sales team might independently use Mailchimp without IT oversight, potentially causing significant issues.
• Proper IT configuration is sometimes overlooked in favor of rapid sales or marketing initiatives. Don’t let this oversight persist.
• Emails landing in spam can damage your business’s reputation. People may begin to perceive your emails as genuinely spam. Customers expect professional and reliable communication.
• The financial services industry, which prioritizes trust, heavily emphasizes email security. Consider: would you trust a bank email that lands in your spam folder?
• Improper configuration can lead to your company being blacklisted, causing Google and Microsoft to treat your emails as spam, which can take weeks or months to resolve.
• DMARC implementation is the beginning of a business workflow. Google and Microsoft will notify IT of suspicious emails from your domain, requiring prompt review and action.
Things to Keep in Mind
• Be proactive. Don’t wait for email failures or customer complaints. DMARC is now a standard requirement.
• Check with IT to confirm DMARC is configured. Many are unaware of its existence.
• Don’t blame IT for failed email campaigns if you didn’t involve them beforehand.
• View IT as a service, not a cost. They provide essential security to establish your reputation and reliability.
• Involve IT in the setup of email services like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Salesforce.
• Implement DMARC settings at a minimum. While ongoing reporting and analysis are vital, DMARC enables IT to quickly address issues.
• Ask your IT team about their workflow for reviewing DMARC reports. Do they have a process in place?
• Ensure IT has the resources for this. IT might not prioritize DMARC due to its proactive nature. Regular reviews (e.g., 15 minutes weekly or bi-weekly) are essential.
• Foster a strong relationship between marketing/sales and IT. Technical marketing roles should understand that DNS-based email security is necessary.
• Control the narrative. Taking control of DMARC implementation prevents potential email spoofing or phishing situations that require urgent action.
Next Steps
• Ask IT: “Is DMARC set up for our domain?” If not, have them configure it or seek external assistance.
• Inquire about the workflow for monitoring DMARC reports. Have they identified and resolved issues?
• Verify functionality yourself. Use a tool like https://www.learndmarc.com/. Share any negative results with IT.
Scott Morabito is a technologist and founder of TechTonic. He is a computer scientist and resides in Concord MA
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