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Bimi - your brand's Email Identity

· 4 min read
Nicki Pabst
Nicki Pabst
Co-founder & Email wizard

Discover the Brand Indicators for Message Identification - a game-changer for email authenticity. Learn how BIMI enhances trust and engagement in email marketing

1. What is BIMI?​

At its core, BIMI is an email authentication protocol that empowers brands to display their logos alongside their email messages in their recipients' inboxes. This simple yet effective concept provides an instant visual cue that the email is legitimate and originates from a trusted source. By implementing BIMI, brands can bolster their email deliverability, increase open rates, and cultivate a sense of authenticity that resonates with recipients.

2. Where is it supported?​

BIMI is gaining traction across the digital landscape. Major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL are backing this protocol, ensuring that your brand's logo can be proudly displayed next to your email messages for a more engaging user experience. This widespread adoption signifies the growing importance of email authentication in establishing a brand's credibility.

3. What are the Benefits?​

The benefits of BIMI extend far beyond mere aesthetics. Here's how brands stand to gain from implementing BIMI:

  • Enhanced Trust: Displaying your logo within the inbox provides an immediate visual trust indicator, reducing the likelihood of recipients mistaking your emails for phishing attempts.

  • Increased Open Rates: A recognizable logo makes your emails stand out, encouraging recipients to open and engage with your content.

  • Consistent Branding: BIMI ensures that your brand's visual identity remains consistent across all email clients, reinforcing brand recognition.

  • Improved Deliverability: Email providers are more likely to route authenticated emails to the inbox, reducing the chances of your messages ending up in the spam folder.

4. How to set it up​

Getting started with BIMI might sound complex, but it's a worthwhile investment for any marketing professional. Here's a step-by-step guide to implementing BIMI:

Note: You will need to have access to your hosting service to set it up.

  1. Test if your SPF, DKIM and DMARC is correctly setup. Use - Bimigroup and enter your website. Note: If you do not have a correct DMARC setup you can use this example that we use at Better email, and change out with your preferred email address.

    Copy

    v=DMARC1;p=quarantine;pct=25;rua=mailto:[email protected]:ruf=mailto:[email protected]

  2. Prepare your logo. BIMI only accepts SVG format, and most mails clients will round the edges of the logo, so be sure to give it a little padding. After that, please convert your SVG via this website, for correct settings in the SVG code Easydmarc.com

Bimi logo tips

  1. Upload your image to your website or a public accessible server

  2. Note: This step is not necessary and cost $1.499/pr year, but the benefit is to show up in Gmail Register your logo on https://order.digicert.com and after follow this guide

  3. Prepare the TXT for your DNS

    default._bimi.[Your website] IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=[URL for the SVG]"
    Here is the example for Better Email
    default._bimi.better.email IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://assets.better.email/1/a8fbba63-2d6c-47e2-9289-994c00df3642.svg"

  4. Check Bimigroup generator if all your settings are correct

5. The BIMI VMC HACK for Gmail​

If you do not want to pay for VMC, there is a sneaky hack to avoid it. If you register the email address on Google. Fx [email protected]. Then you can create a profile image for that specific email address.

Conclusion In the competitive landscape of email marketing, standing out and building trust are paramount. BIMI not only achieves this, but also adds a layer of visual authenticity that today's consumers demand. As the face of your company before it's even opened, BIMI holds the potential to transform your email campaigns, making them more engaging, effective, and ultimately, more rewarding for your brand and your audience.

For more in-depth insights about BIMI, I recommend checking out resources from BIMI Group, Postmark, and Litmus.

Remember, in the ever-evolving world of email marketing, adopting innovative solutions like BIMI could be the differentiating factor that sets your brand apart from your competitors and propels your campaigns toward success.

Bimi support

Common issues​

  1. BIMI is not showing up A. Did you test your setup through Bimigroup? If yes, the problem can be, that you are sending from an address with a unique ID such as [email protected] Be sure to send from a generic ID, such as [email protected] or [email protected] B. Did you check if your SVG got approved? BIMI requires specific code inside your SVG, and you therefor need to run your SVG through. bimi-logo-converter C. Did you check that the email client you are receiving your email supports BIMI? Fx Gmail only supports VMC BIMI (the paid BIMI)

  2. BIMI is not showing on darkmode Simply put a white background behind the SVG.