It’s not always easy to find ways to stand out among other IT service providers in your area. From a customer perspective, it often looks like MSPs are all offering the same types of services, and in many cases they are.
One way to stand out from the pack is to jump on the bandwagon of DMARC setup and monitoring. Companies of all sizes are realizing that without email authentication, more and more of their mail isn’t being delivered.
Read on to learn why DMARC monitoring is becoming the new hot service for MSPs and how you can leverage it as a powerful tool for both marketing and customer education.
Refresher on How to Describe DMARC to Customers
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) monitoring is the protocol that helps protect email domains from spoofing, phishing, and other types of email fraud.
By implementing DMARC, businesses can ensure that only authorized senders can use their domain to send emails and that any unauthorized or malicious emails are rejected or quarantined.
Companion protocols to DMARC are SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). All three work together to authenticate legitimate email to increasingly picky corporate mail servers so it won’t be rejected or sent to spam. Additionally, they help prevent domain spoofing, which is a popular phishing tactic.
What does each one do?
- SPF: Records the IP addresses of servers allowed to send email for a domain.
- DKIM: Enables domain owners to digitally “sign” emails from their domain, verifying they are legitimate.
- DMARC: Communicates instructions to a receiving email server on what to do with the results of an SPF and DKIM check. It also provides important reports to domain administrators.
Why Is DMARC Monitoring Becoming Popular with Businesses?
The short answer to why DMARC is getting hot is that companies need their emails to be delivered, and they don’t want their domain used for phishing. Cybersecurity standards to combat phishing require email domains to prove they are legitimate to the receiving mail services, otherwise messages are treated as spam.
DMARC has also been in the news recently due to a move by Google and Yahoo. By February 2024, any company that is sending over 5,000 email messages/day through these services needs to begin using DMARC authentication, along with SPF and DKIM.
This new attention to email authentication and the need to track email delivery issues and potential phishing has created an opportunity for MSPs to offer DMARC monitoring services.
Offering DMARC Monitoring as a Service
Before we get into the details of adding DMARC monitoring to your IT business offerings, let’s cover two key questions:
- What’s the value proposition for customers?
- What’s involved in offering the service?
What’s the value proposition for customers?
The biggest reasons that companies care about DMARC monitoring are so their emails will get delivered to customers and not sent to spam, to know if their emails are NOT getting delivered, and to ensure hackers aren’t using their domain to send dangerous email messages.
What’s involved in offering the service?
On the MSP side, you would need to brush up on your email authentication knowledge, so you feel confident that you know how to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for a domain. Additionally, the monitoring part is key and involves ongoing reporting that comes back via the DMARC protocol on things like delivery rates and messages that failed authentication.
Some options for DMARC monitoring tools for MSPs:
Why DMARC Monitoring Is Beneficial for MSPs and Their Clients
DMARC monitoring is beneficial for both MSPs and their clients for several reasons. Here are some of the main benefits.
Enhanced Security
By implementing DMARC, you help clients prevent hackers from using their domain to send fraudulent emails that can harm their reputation, damage their relationship with their clients, or compromise their data.
You can also protect your clients’ customers from receiving malicious emails from a hacker using your client’s domain that can trick them into revealing sensitive information or installing malware on their devices.
Improved Deliverability
By helping customers authenticate emails with SPF and DKIM, you can increase the chances of their emails reaching the inbox of their recipients, rather than being filtered out by spam filters or rejected by receiving servers.
This can improve their communication with their clients, prospects, and partners, and boost their marketing campaigns.
Increased Visibility
By monitoring client DMARC reports, you give them insight into their email performance, such as how many emails they send and receive, how many pass or fail authentication, how many are delivered or rejected, and which domains or IP addresses are sending or receiving emails from their domain.
You can also identify any errors or misconfigurations in their email authentication settings, and fix them before they affect email delivery or security.
Competitive Advantage
By offering DMARC monitoring as a service to your clients, you can differentiate yourself from other MSPs who do not provide this service. You can also demonstrate your expertise and value by helping your clients implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC on their domains, monitor their email authentication status, and resolve any issues that arise.
You can also educate your clients about the importance of email security and best practices for email hygiene.
Revenue opportunity
By adding DMARC monitoring to your portfolio of services, you can create a new source of recurring revenue for your business. One that is a prime candidate to sell to both new and existing customers.
You can charge your clients a setup fee to initially set up email authentication for their domain, and then an ongoing monthly fee for providing DMARC reports and ongoing management of their email authentication. You can also upsell them other related services, such as email encryption, anti-spam filtering, or phishing awareness training.
Here some ideas based on how other service providers are marketing DMARC monitoring:
Tips for Adding DMARC Monitoring to Your Service Offerings
As you seek to differentiate your IT business in a crowded market, adding DMARC monitoring to your service portfolio can be a game-changer. Here’s how you can use DMARC monitoring as a strategic marketing and educational tool.
Position Email Authentication as Strengthening Security Posture
Position DMARC monitoring as a proactive security measure. By emphasizing the ability to detect and thwart phishing attempts, you can help clients and prospects see the value of the service. Cybersecurity is a top concern for businesses these days.
Provide Educational Content and Thought Leadership
Leverage the introduction of DMARC monitoring as an opportunity to educate your client base and prospects. Create informative content such as blog posts, whitepapers, and webinar slide decks that explain the importance of DMARC and how it complements existing email security measures.
Offer Tailored Workshops and Training Sessions
Hosting workshops or training sessions focused on DMARC implementation and monitoring can be a proactive way for you to engage with clients and prospects. These sessions can cover the basics of DMARC, the steps involved in implementation, and how to interpret DMARC reports. This is a great way to drive leads for your new service offering.
Overcoming Challenges: Addressing Misconceptions
While the benefits of DMARC monitoring are substantial, you may encounter challenges in promoting and implementing this service. Addressing common misconceptions head-on can help in dispelling doubts and ensuring a smoother adoption process.
Perceived Complexity
Some organizations may be hesitant to embrace DMARC monitoring due to the perceived complexity of implementation. MSPs can counter this misconception by providing step-by-step guides or infographics, offering hands-on support during the setup phase, and emphasizing the long-term benefits of a secure email environment.
Lack of Awareness
Many businesses may not be fully aware of the risks associated with email fraud or lack of email authentication and the role DMARC plays in mitigating these risks. MSPs can bridge this knowledge gap by consistently educating their clients through various channels, emphasizing the real-world impact of successful phishing attacks, and illustrating how DMARC can act as a powerful deterrent.
Integration Concerns
Clients might worry about the integration of DMARC monitoring with their existing email infrastructure. MSPs can alleviate these concerns by highlighting the seamless integration capabilities of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC and their compatibility with standard email security protocols. Offering support and guidance throughout the integration process reinforces your company’s commitment to a hassle-free experience for your client.
Don’t Forget to Promote Your New Service Right!
DMARC monitoring provides a unique opportunity for MSPs to expand their services and gain new business. By positioning DMARC monitoring as a proactive security measure and necessary for continued email delivery, you can strengthen client relationships and attract new business.
But for any new service to be effective, you need to market it right. This includes content such as blog posts, infographics, marketing emails, and PowerPoint slide decks.
If you need help creating any of these, reach out to us today. We are a team of experienced MSP marketing experts who care about helping you grow your business with customized content.
Do you currently or have you considered offering DMARC monitoring? Share your experience in the comments.
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