What Small Businesses Need to Know for February 2024

As we step into 2024, the digital marketing world is abuzz with significant changes, especially in the realm of email marketing. Major email service providers like Google and Yahoo! have announced a new set of requirements for bulk email senders, set to take effect in February 2024. 

If you’re a small business relying on platforms like Constant Contact and MailChimp for your monthly newsletters or promotional emails, these changes are particularly relevant.

Understanding the New Email Marketing Requirements:

So, what exactly are these new requirements? In essence, Google and Yahoo! are upping their game in email authentication to combat spam and phishing, ensuring a safer digital environment for both senders and recipients. This means stricter protocols for businesses sending over 5,000 emails a day.

However, even if you’re a small business sending emails at a much lower volume, these changes are indicative of a broader shift towards more secure email practices – a shift that’s wise to get ahead of.

How This Affects Your Business:

Firstly, it’s important to understand that these changes are not just technical tweaks but a move towards greater accountability and authenticity in the digital space. For a small business, this translates to a need for more diligence in how your email campaigns are managed and delivered.

The good news is, that platforms like Constant Contact and MailChimp are already well-equipped to help you navigate these changes. They offer tools and guidelines for email authentication, which is now more crucial than ever.

Steps to Prepare Your Business:

1. Review Your Email Platform’s Guidelines: Both Constant Contact and MailChimp have resources to help you understand and implement the necessary changes. It’s time to dive into these resources if you haven’t already.
2. Authenticate Your Email Domain: This might sound technical, but it’s simpler than it seems. Email domain authentication proves that an email isn’t forged and genuinely comes from your business. This can significantly boost your email deliverability and credibility.
3. Stay Informed and Compliant: Keeping abreast of these changes and regularly reviewing your email practices against the latest standards will be key. Make sure you’re subscribed to updates from your email platform provider.
4. Seek Expert Help if Needed: If all this seems overwhelming, don’t hesitate to reach out to the customer support offered by your email platform or your hosting’s customer support. 

👉Steps-By-Step Guides For Email Marketing Authentication:

• Constant Contact – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• MailChimp – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• Klaviyo – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• HubSpot – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• MailerLite – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• ActiveCampaign – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• GetResponse – General information and Step-by-Step Guide
• Convertkit – Step-by-Step Guide

✅ Verify Your DMARC:

Once you have put in your record, you will want to verify everything is working. You can use this tool to find out if your record has been published correctly. The dmarcian DMARC Record Checker is a quick and free tool we use.

Conclusion:

While the new requirements from Google and Yahoo! might seem daunting at first, they represent an important step in the evolution of digital marketing. By adapting to these changes, your small business will not only stay compliant but also benefit from better email engagement and trust from your audience. Remember, in the dynamic world of digital marketing, staying informed and adaptable is the key to success.

We understand that keeping up with these changes can be daunting. That’s why we’re here to assist you. Contact us today if you need help. We’re offering our email marketing authentication services starting at $199 to help you stay compliant and effective in your email marketing efforts.