From copy to design, you’ve spent hours crafting that perfect email. But all your hard work could be for nothing if your email winds up in the dreaded spam folder.
Here’s how to ensure your email ends up in the right place—your supporter’s inbox.
Email Authentication: What’s the Big Deal?
At first glance, email authentication might sound a bit like rocket science. But don’t worry—it’s not that complicated! Essentially, it’s how your supporter’s email provider (think Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo!) knows your email really came from you.
By authenticating your emails, inbox providers protect their users (in this case, your supporters) from harmful attempts to impersonate your organization. So when they see an email from your domain, they’ll trust it.
Beware of Spoofing!
Spoofing is when a sneaky sender pretends to be you, sending emails that look like they’re from your organization but aren’t. These fake emails can be dangerous, aiming to steal personal data or even scam your supporters out of money.
Example: Imagine someone receives an email that appears to be from “Impact Email” (even showing my logo), asking for sensitive info like a Social Security number. That’s a classic spoof. And it’s something your organization wants to avoid at all costs.
Enter: Email Authentication
To keep your emails from being spoofed—or from ending up in the junk folder—there are a few things you need to set up: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These email authentication standards work behind the scenes to ensure your messages pass the sniff test with email providers.
Let’s break these down!
#1 – Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
SPF is like the bouncer at your email’s nightclub. It determines which servers are allowed to send mail from your domain. When your email reaches the recipient’s inbox provider, SPF checks if the IP address matches what’s authorized. If it doesn’t, the email is flagged—or worse, blocked altogether!
#2 – Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM)
Think of DKIM as your email’s official signature. It confirms that your email hasn’t been tampered with on its journey to your supporters. By using encrypted keys, DKIM ensures that the email your supporters receive is exactly as you sent it—no forgeries or alterations!
Imagine sending a letter to your grandma. To make sure she knows it’s really from you, you sign it: “Love, your favorite grandchild (a.k.a., my little Brussel sprout).” It’s your special sign-off that only she understands. That’s what DKIM does for your emails.
#3 – Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC)
DMARC is the rule-enforcer. It builds on SPF and DKIM to tell inbox providers what to do if something doesn’t look right—like when SPF or DKIM fails. Should they flag it? Move it to spam? Reject it outright? You decide.
With DMARC, you’re in control. You can choose to monitor suspicious emails, quarantine them, or block them entirely. The goal is to prevent any spoofing attempts from reaching your supporters.
Putting It All Together
By configuring these three standards—SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—you’re telling email providers: “Hey, it’s really me! Deliver this email to my supporters, and no one else can send from my domain.”
Email Authentication, Simplified
Now, I know what you’re thinking—this sounds complicated! But you don’t have to be an email wizard to get this right. Once your authentication is set up, it runs quietly in the background, making sure your emails safely reach their destination every time.
Need Help Getting Your Emails to the Inbox?
If your emails are getting lost in spam or you’re worried about spoofing, let’s chat. I can help you configure your email authentication, boost your deliverability, and ensure your messages reach the people who matter most—your supporters.
Reach out to me today, and let’s make your email campaign unstoppable!