BIMI: The inbox game-changer you’ve probably not heard of…

There are no guarantees that your email will be noticed.
Even with a trusted sender name, compelling subject line and relevant preheader you’re competing against on average 120 emails per day.
Next year, that number is expected to rise to 144 (Fit Small Business), and with it, the shared desire to capture and maintain our contacts’ engagement.
BIMI can help.
What is BIMI?
It’s the inbox’s version of a blue tick.
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) allows you to add your logo next to your emails in the recipient’s inbox, providing a visual indicator of authenticity.
This is an email specification developed by the AuthIndicators Working Group aimed at promoting the adoption of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance).
Your logo’s presence not only confirms brand visibility but also serves as a trust signal, reassuring recipients that the email is from a legitimate sender and is safe to open. BIMI also incentivises organisations to implement email authentication practices, helping to reduce the risk of phishing and spoofing attacks.
Why is BIMI important for marketers?
Picture this: you’re walking down a street lined with restaurants. Each establishment is vying for your attention with flashy signs and appealing storefronts. However, you’re looking further than style but for a reason to trust the brand.
BIMI works similarly for your emails.
Just as a well-maintained restaurant with a visible hygiene certificate reassures customers, BIMI provides a visual cue that you can be trusted in the inbox.
Think of BIMI as a method for expanding your brand’s real estate…
“People trust brands. Increased protection with a DMARC policy set to ‘quarantine’ or ‘reject’ not only enhances email security but also fosters increased trust from recipients. With this added layer of protection, brands occupy more prominent marketing space in the inbox before a recipient even opens an email, essentially expanding their brand real estate. This strategy should translate into a better inbox placement rate and ultimately result in higher conversion rates.” Anthony Mitchell, Email Deliverability Expert
BIMI has the power to impact several marketing KPIs
- Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR): By making emails more visually appealing and trustworthy, BIMI can encourage recipients to click on links within the email, improving CTOR. A recognisable logo can make the content seem more relevant and engaging to the reader.
- Email Deliverability: BIMI enhances the likelihood of your emails reaching the inbox rather than being marked as spam. The presence of a verified logo signals to email service providers that the email is legitimate, thereby improving overall deliverability metrics.
- Lead Score: Enhanced engagement due to improved visibility and trust can positively influence lead scoring. As recipients interact more with your emails, their lead scores will increase, allowing for more personalised and targeted follow-ups.
- Subscriber Growth Rate: The trust and recognition fostered by BIMI can make your emails more attractive to potential subscribers, leading to higher subscription rates and overall list growth.
Current BIMI Adoption (according to BIMI Radar)
Despite its clear advantages, BIMI adoption is still growing. Shockingly, only 0.0041% of domains have obtained a BIMI certification, even though 3.51% are BIMI-ready. This disparity presents a unique opportunity for forward-thinking organisations to differentiate themselves in a crowded inbox. The current BIMI adoption can be broken down into the following 6 categories.
- No Authentication (9.04%): These domains are not ready to send email with any level of authentication. This is crucial because without authentication, emails are highly vulnerable to being spoofed and phishing attacks.
- Basic Authentication (79.65%): These domains have some mechanisms in place for outbound email authentication, but this is not sufficient protection for today’s threat landscape. Implementing DMARC is now a business requirement for enhanced email security.
- DMARC Reporting (7.76%): These domains have started their DMARC implementation but have not yet progressed to a secure enough policy to qualify for BIMI. DMARC reporting is a critical step toward email authentication and security.
- BIMI Ready (3.51%): These domains have the DMARC policy required to deploy BIMI. Being BIMI-ready involves having a DMARC policy set to p=reject, which helps ensure that only authenticated emails are delivered.
- BIMI Aware (0.03687%): These domains have advertised the start of their BIMI deployment by publishing an unverified logo. This is the initial step towards full BIMI implementation.
- BIMI with VMC (0.0041%): These market leaders have completed all the steps above and have obtained a Verified Mark Certificate for their registered trademarks. This certificate ensures the authenticity of the displayed logo.
Steps to Implement BIMI
Here are the steps you need to take to implement BIMI
- Authenticate your emails.SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Define which mail servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain.DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Add a digital signature to your emails to verify they haven’t been altered.DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Configure a DMARC policy to instruct receiving mail servers on how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.
- Create a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). Obtain a VMC from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) to verify your logo and confirm your brand identity.
- Prepare your logo. Ensure your logo meets BIMI specifications: SVG format, square, and less than 32KB in size.
- Publish a BIMI record. Add a DNS TXT record for your domain that includes the URL of your SVG logo and VMC information.
- Test and monitor. Send test emails to verify your logo appears in recipients’ inboxes. Monitor email deliverability and authentication reports to ensure everything is working correctly.
You’re now armed with the insights you need to get started and join the 0.0041% of organisations proudly displaying BIMI-certified logos in their recipients’ inboxes. But it’s not just about standing out in the clutter; it’s about fostering trust and credibility with your audience. Embracing BIMI assures your brand is unmistakably recognised, strengthening email security and elevating your brand reputation.
Curious about your brand’s BIMI status? Get in touch and our team will be happy to help.
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