Verified Mark Certificates At A Glance
An individual receives 121 emails on average every day, and since the pandemic, digital communications have become more prominent. According to a Pathwire survey, the influence of the pandemic on email sending resulted in 55% of firms increasing their consumer email communication. However, it is becoming quite difficult for email marketers to stand out from the cluttered inbox, despite how crucial it is.
Marketers can now utilize their trademarked logo as a visual branding element within the email inbox even before opening the email through the recently introduced Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs). Early results from marketers employing VMCs show greater open rates and a rise in brand identification.
Additionally, VMCs ensure that a business employs DMARC, enhancing inbox confidence and assisting in the protection against phishing and other illegitimate uses of your domain.
A VMC is a digital certificate that confirms logo ownership and enables a business to display its logo in email inboxes. The Brand Indicator Message Identification (BIMI) initiative, which aids in phishing and spoofing protection, includes VMCs. Similar to a verified checkmark on Twitter, it lets the recipient know that your email has been authenticated. However, VMCs go above and beyond email interaction by enhancing security via the BIMI standard, which can please your IT staff.
HOW YOUR EMAIL MARKETING BENEFITS FROM VMCHOW YOUR EMAIL MARKETING BENEFITS FROM VMC
VMCs can raise brand awareness, engagement levels, and email marketing ROI. Stand out in the inboxes of customers with a verified logo. This validated logo is a visible indicator of the trust that can increase open rates and provide a better user experience.
Additionally, VMCs offer a fresh avenue for the branding and logo investments made by the majority of businesses and provide a new channel for that to pay off. VMCs have a low investment need and a high return. To maximize the use of their brand in emails, marketers should also pair VMCs with common subdomains. In conclusion, VMCs promote greater transparency and confidence in the inbox, making it simpler to engage your audience in email marketing.
HOW YOUR EMAIL SECURITY INCREASES WITH VMC
DMARC enforcement is an email authentication policy and a reporting procedure that can assist guard against unwanted use of your domain, such as spoofing and phishing. This is a requirement for businesses to be eligible for a VMC. Under DMARC, inboxes verify that the email comes from the domain specified. You can see the messages being delivered from your domain thanks to DMARC as well. As a result, becoming qualified for a VMC will boost your email security and guarantee that your IT team is on board.
A company’s trademarked logo is displayed as a visual trust indication in the inbox once it has achieved DMARC compliance and obtained a VMC from a certificate authority. Learn how to configure DMARC here.
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO TEST WITH YOUR VMCS
Marketers should measure open rates, click-through rates, and other engagement metrics to truly optimize the value of a VMC.Marketers should measure open rates, click-through rates, and other engagement metrics to truly optimize the value of a VMC.
Verified Mark Certificates GOING FORWARD
Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) are continuing to expand and gain visibility in the market. The largest email provider in the world, Gmail, adopted VMCs last year. This fall, Apple will introduce VMCs in iOS16 and MacOS Ventura. With Apple’s upcoming mobile and desktop versions, that same logo will now appear in emails sent to iCloud addresses as well as in the Apple email client.
It’s a step in the right direction that Gmail, Fastmail, and now Apple has adopted VMCs to help marketers promote their businesses while also assisting in the DMARC-enabled security of the email ecosystem.
Here’s a VMC checklist with step-to-step guides on how to qualify for a VMC and install the certificate in your ecosystem!
