Consider this a PSA for Web3 brands that incorporate email into their multi-channel marketing stack.

On February 1st 2024, just over two weeks from the time of writing, Google and Yahoo will usher in the most significant changes to email deliverability yet. Why does this matter in the decentralised world of Web3?

Because Google and Yahoo represent almost a third of all inboxes globally.

So, if you want to meet your audience where they are, and you don’t want to see your email deliverability fall off a cliff, you’ll want to take note of these changes and make sure you’re ready for them when they take effect in just a few weeks. Let’s get into how to do that and why.

Web3, or the newest iteration of the Internet, is shaking up what we think we know about marketing. At the heart of this generational shift is the introduction of a trustless internet-native layer for value exchange that is redrawing how people connect and collaborate.

By aligning incentives between brands, investors, and users, long-standing distinctions are collapsing, and the passive definition of the ‘consumer’ no longer seems to fit. Elsewhere, automation through smart contracts, cross-platform interoperability and data sovereignty for users are reshaping the online experience (with real-world consequences) through decentralisation.

Web3 communications apps like wallet-to-wallet and decentralised email messaging continue to improve and proliferate. Meanwhile, Web3’s user base (to say nothing of its UX) remains limited. Data from 2022 suggests that there are over 84 million wallets across crypto; a figure dwarfed by Google’s 1.8 billion email accounts alone.

The fact remains that, for many brands, an omnichannel marketing strategy that ‘meets your audience where they are’ includes landing in their Gmail inboxes.

Amanda Cassatt, CEO of marketing agency, Serotonin, and Web3’s first marketer, underscored the value of email marketing for crypto natives in her book, ‘Web3 Marketing: A Handbook for the Next Internet Revolution’. In it, she writes, "There's nothing more dependable than a spreadsheet with the addresses of audience members who have agreed to receive emails,” adding, “Email is one of the few channels a project can truly own, and it can become an excellent way to distribute content".

Testament to this thesis is Hubspot’s 2023 report in which email marketing is described as “an unmatched investment for connecting with customers.” According to its authors, brands receive an average $36 return on every $1 spent on email.

In a nutshell, brands that incorporate email into their omnichannel marketing stack stand to reap benefits such as:

• Unparalleled reach: At 92% penetration, practically anyone who logs onto the Internet is also on email. This compares with the 10% of adults who own crypto globally.

• Seamless functionality: Pithy remarks about Web3’s less-than-ideal UX have become a common refrain on Crypto Twitter. And for valid reasons. Web 2.0 Email Service Providers (ESPs) like Klaviyo and Hubspot still tend to do many of email marketing’s most powerful features best, including segmentation, bulk sending, and automation.

• High ROI and ownership: Cost-effective and personalisable, email continues to stand out in Web 2.0 as a valuable way to build relationships, as well as to convert and retain users. Furthermore, unlike on X, with email, your email list belongs to you. Unless you’re Messari and you’re building your subscriber list on Mailchimp. But that’s another story. 

For brands and creators that are already onboard with email marketing, here is your heads-up that monumental changes are on the horizon.

In the next sections, we'll get into what the changes are, why they are being put into place and what you can do to avoid your content and outreach being unjustly labelled as spam.

The amount of spam being sent across the Internet is increasing by the day. The “industry first” measures being introduced by Google and Yahoo take aim at the slew of unwanted mail that is hitting their ML pipeline.

According to the Tech giant, Google’s AI filters already identify and block almost 15 billion unsolicited and inappropriate emails each day. But as the use of AI becomes more widespread, and the tools themselves become more sophisticated, there’s growing unease that the filters will not be able to keep pace with the ever-evolving tactics at spam senders’ disposal.

Google have stated that anyone who sends more than 5,000 bulk emails daily will have to comply with the new requirements.

However, Scott Hartley, the founder of Masterplan4Success offers the following words of caution: "These rules technically apply to EVERYONE no matter the volume of email they send.  Yahoo refuses to reveal what they consider a bulk sender, even though Google sets the bar at 5,000.  Yahoo could be at 100 emails a day."

While marketers may be in the dark about the exact numbers that will trigger these upcoming requirements, one thing is for certain: Regardless of the ESP that you use, if you have Gmail or Yahoo addresses on your list (and who doesn’t?) these changes will impact you.

To comply with the upcoming anti-spam policy changes, you need to get the following in order:

• Full domain authentication: Google wants to know that you are who you say you are, meaning that you will need to authenticate your identity using DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), DMARC and SPF configurations (ikr😩). You’ll also need to configure your accounts across each platform you use to send emails from.

• Curate your list for quality over quantity: Measured in open rates and click-through rates (CTRs), subscribers who sit on your list but aren’t engaging with your messaging are damaging your reputation - and could get your content unjustly flagged as spam. In addition, the bar for spam complaints has been lowered to just 0.3% of emails. Creators who exceed this threshold will see their deliverability plummet.  

• Make it easy for subscribers to self-select: As well as being intentional about how you procure your list, subscribers will need to be given a clear and accessible means of opting out of correspondence with your brand. There will be no getting away with burying the unsubscribe button in tiny text at the bottom of your emails under these new measures.

According to Google these requirements “should be considered basic email hygiene.” Although that makes implementation sound straightforward enough, according to Hartley, 94% of businesses sending emails from marketing automation platforms like Mailchimp, fail the configuration test. Furthermore, 86% of users have no clue how to identify how engaged their subscribers are.

So, what can brands that include email in their marketing mix do to avoid getting caught out? 

Although placing the burden of reducing spam on marketers who provide value for their followers might not seem fair, this situation does come with some upside – for those who are proactive about compliance.

With more emails inevitably being screened out after February 1st (hello, 94% of non-configured accounts?), your messaging has a greater chance of getting in front of the engaged subscribers and fans most likely to sign up for your webinar, or download your beta, or take whatever action you’re looking for them to take.

Your list may take a bit of a hit by following these requirements, but with relevant content and a targeted approach, your conversions shouldn’t.

As ever, the first step in solving any problem is realising that there is one, to begin with. Masterplan4Success offer a free authentication check that will allow you to see under the hood and spot what needs fixing.

As Google itself has shared, “This is not a one-time exercise.” Marketing teams that either lack the time – or don’t want to risk getting lost in the technical weeds can work with Scott Hartley and the team at Masterplan4Success or other email deliverability experts. With all the recent bullish signals we’ve been seeing, this is not the time to risk having your email campaigns get stuck behind spam filters.

The countdown is on before Google and Yahoo activate their anti-spam crackdown. Those who act ahead of the February 1st deadline will be at an advantage - and the sooner brands move, the better. 

The fact that the second largest email provider in the world is struggling to keep up with ever-more sophisticated AI output serves as a reminder of why the Internet is due a makeover. With Web3-native email providers, like Mailchain, we're moving towards a world in which decentralised reputation systems and cryptographic signatures provide blockchain-native layers of security against spam and phishing attempts.

But until Web3 onboards its next billion users, marketers within the space will do best to adopt a Web 2.5 approach - complying with Big Tech companies like Google when ‘meeting your audience where they hang out’ requires it, while at the same time developing a presence on decentralised platforms.

Regardless of the platform, in the age of AI, there will be an ever-greater need for differentiation by holding the bar high on curating lists and delivering relevant, engaging content.

Best of luck out there! If you are looking to generate goodwill so you can retarget or retain your audience by delivering value straight to their inboxes - or you want to spin up a compelling yet digestible sequence to onboard new community members - drop me a message. I work with mission-aligned Web3 brands and would love to chat about your content needs, and craft an email marketing strategy that lands.

CORRECTION: In an earlier version, I mentioned that these changes will affect anyone who sends over 5,000 emails per day. This has since been updated to reflect the fact that Yahoo have not publicly stated what their limit will be. Thanks to Scott Hartley for pointing out the original inaccuracy.