While there’s no denying that email marketing is the biggest name on the web in terms of boosting your awareness among customers, this doesn’t always mean that the inbox stands as a clear and unobstructed path to increased returns on your investment (ROI.) Just like any other powerful innovation, the threat from malicious and damaging sources that wish to abuse this platform is readily apparent.Fortunately, you’re not defenseless in this fight. By reading over these five tips for making your email marketing campaign safe and secure, you’ll have all the tools you need to guarantee that both you and your customers get to enjoy this valuable connection without interruption for years to come.
Understand the Nature of the Threat
The best place to start this conversation, according to the experts over at Media Post’s Email Marketing Daily blog, is by understanding the origins of this email marketing threat. Specifically, the team from Media Post points to the Dridex botnet as the biggest issue facing email marketers and brands in 2015.Browser-based attacks were all the rage in 2014, but this year a massive shift toward hackings via Dridex has completely redesigned the digital landscape. In total, 27,000 PCs are infected daily by this botnet via messages containing a Microsoft Word attachment full of malicious coding.The big key here is to not only relay this information to your audience (more on this later), but also to remain vigilant in your own inboxes. One misstep when it comes to your interaction with a suspect or unusual message could be the catalyst for a much larger and more damaging hacker-related problem.
Leverage the Power of DMARC
After you’ve brushed up on all of the latest threats facing the inbox, it’s time to go on the offensive and bolster your message security features. The best way to go about this process and inhibit the negative effects of phishing within your audience is by leveraging the power of Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC.)DMARC is an email validation system that both detects spoofing attempts and offers reassurance to users who question the veracity of a message. Essentially, having this tool on your side promotes confidence and a greater sense of security among even the wariest of viewers as they interact with your inbox content.
Pick the Right Service Provider
Another great method of enhancing your security features in the face of this rising hacker threat, as noted by Forbes magazine’s Ryan Deutsch, is by picking the right email marketing servicing provider. Yes, it’s easy to see the appeal of a budget or “cheap” alternative to some of the bigger names in the business.However, by aligning your brand with a team of experts, like the ones here at Elite Email, you arm yourself with the most advanced technical support and database protection on the web. Considering how damaging a breach can be for organizations of all shapes and sizes, it makes sense to carefully research your email service provider options now and ensure that you make the right call on this important decision.
Assess Risks on Other Platforms
Perhaps the most overlooked part of enhancing your take on secure email marketing practices comes in the form of buffering your defenses on other platforms. It might not seem related at first glance, but facing a compromise on your social platforms, branded website, and other digital outlets is an easy way for the less than savory elements of the digital community to wreak havoc on your online operations – including your email marketing campaigns. Give your passwords and login procedures a security review now and you reduce the risk of this kind of interconnected issue drastically moving forward.
Educate Your Audience
Finally, don’t forget to spread the word about these concerns to your inbox audience. These viewers often lack the industry insight presented in articles like this one and via other formal channels, so it’s imperative that you educate and inform them about the latest security trends and rising issues.The best part about this practice is that it doesn’t have to be a chore. By releasing regular emails that are full of educational tips and guidance related to inbox and digital security, your brand generates yet another method of adding value and interaction to the email marketing process. When paired with the rest of what you’ve learned here, you’ll have all the tools needed to protect both you and your audience in the face of any new threat or issue that springs forth from the murkier regions of the Internet.
