In the quest to fortify email against impersonation and fraud, a new champion enters the arena: BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification. BIMI offers a twofold benefit: enhancing email security while simultaneously boosting brand visibility right in your customer’s inbox.
What is BIMI?
BIMI is an innovative email specification that links a verified brand logo with the sender’s domain. When an email is authenticated using DMARC, the associated logo is displayed next to the email in the inbox, giving users immediate visual confirmation of the email’s legitimacy. This simple yet powerful visual cue can significantly impact brand recognition and trust.
Benefits of BIMI:
- Boosts Brand Presence: Your logo appears directly in your customers’ inboxes, enhancing brand visibility.
- Enhances Credibility: It provides recipients with immediate visual assurance that the email is genuine.
- Increases Engagement: Emails with BIMI are more likely to stand out, potentially improving open rates.
- Self-Management: You control the logos associated with your email messages, ensuring consistency and accuracy.
How to Get Started with BIMI:
Step 1: Ensure your emails are authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. DMARC should be at a policy of ‘quarantine’ or ‘reject’ for BIMI to function.
Step 2: Create an SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (PS) version of your brand’s logo. This specific format is required by BIMI for security and compatibility reasons.
Step 3: Publish a BIMI DNS record that points to the location of your logo. This record tells email clients where to find the logo associated with your domain.
The journey to adopting BIMI begins with understanding and implementing its prerequisites. Embrace BIMI and allow your brand to shine in the crowded space of your customer’s inbox.
Ready to display your brand confidently? Start with the BIMI Implementation Guide.
By incorporating BIMI alongside SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, organizations can enhance their security posture while also leveraging their brand’s visual identity. It’s an effective way to combat email fraud and build a more direct connection with customers. As BIMI becomes more widely adopted, users will start to recognize these visual cues as a sign of trusted communication, making it an invaluable tool for any organization’s email strategy.
