Though well-intentioned, Google and Yahoo’s new email marketing requirements are turning into a quagmire for brands. What’s worse, spammers can easily buy their way through.
Spammers won’t be deterred
When there is money to be made, spammers will always find a way around the rules.
It won’t even take any technical chops. You can buy off-the-shelf services for a few hundred $$$ per month that let you send over one million emails per day.
Friction for Legitimate Email Marketers
Unfortunately, well-intended rules often have a way of punishing mainly those trying their best to follow them.
- Increased Compliance Costs: Legitimate marketers are now navigating a compliance minefield as they invest in authentication technologies and adapt to fragmented email ecosystems. This includes implementing SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and even BIMI authentication schemes, alongside the training to ensure adherence.
- Complexity in Email Delivery: The rules complicate an already difficult environment. Google’s ‘Promotions’ tab and Microsoft Outlook’s image-blocking default change the user experience, hindering marketers’ reach.
- Shifting Goalposts: Google’s track record of introducing and abandoning initiatives like AMP and Core Web Vitals has left marketers wary of investing in compliance. When the rules might change again tomorrow it’s easy to justify giving it a half-effort.
Unintended Consequences
The rules, while aimed at spammers, inadvertently push marketers towards less efficient channels like PPC and display advertising, causing a shift that undermines cost-effective email marketing benefits.
The ironic factor is that if marketers do shift their budgets to PPC, much of that budget will end up in the pocket of Google, which established these rules in the first place.
If you still haven’t updated your SPF, DMARC, and DKIM records, we have an easy-to-follow guide to help you with the new rules. Click here to access our guide.
Keep up to date, and make sure your campaigns are as compliant as possible. But even with new restrictions, email marketing is still remarkably effective if a bit more inconvenient now.
Dia´s Weekly Download Edition #4
