You might consider using a free email address, like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com, to send emails from Brevo. However, over 75% of consumers believe a company's email address should correspond to its domain name (source: GoDaddy). This suggests that using a free email address significantly increases the risk of your emails being ignored or marked as spam. That's why more and more email providers also discourage the use of a free email address.
So, what's the solution? Getting a professional email address that matches your business name. This article offers useful tips and insights into the advantages of having a professional email address.
Free email address vs professional email address, what is the difference?
While both free and professional email addresses are indispensable tools for communication, they serve different purposes and require different approaches:
- Free email addresses are provided by companies like Gmail, Yahoo, or Microsoft. These addresses include the provider's domain, for example, a Gmail address might look like richard@gmail.com. They're ideal for casual conversations with friends, family, or personal contacts. They are easy to set up and use, without any cost, making them a popular choice for personal use.
- Professional email addresses, on the other hand, use your own custom domain name. This means instead of your emails being sent from a generic address like richard@gmail.com, they would be sent from a more professional looking address, such as richard@mycompany.com. This domain could represent your business or personal brand. Using a professional email address not only lends credibility to your business communications, but it also helps to strengthen your brand by providing a consistent brand identity.
What are the benefits of a professional email address?
You've likely used the same email address for years to contact subscribers, clients, or partners without issue. So why would you change? To find out why, here are a few reasons why you should consider replacing your free email address with a professional one:
By investing in a professional email address that ends with your own domain, you show that you have invested time and money in building your business.This not only enhances your business's credibility but also instills trust in customers, employees, and partners.
A professional email address using your company's domain brings consistency. It harmonizes with your company name, website, social media handles, etc.
As your business grows and you onboard more team members, you can set up standardized email addresses like james@mycompany.com, maria@mycompany.com, and so on. This consistent branding not only helps customers in reaching the appropriate contact but also improves internal communication within your team.
Using a professional email address provides an additional layer of security and privacy. Professional email services often offer enhanced security features, such as encryption and two-factor authentication, to protect sensitive business information and communications.
Since February 1, 2024, Gmail and Yahoo have implemented stricter rules for email senders to protect users from spam and prioritize legitimate emails. These rules require the use of a professional email address to increase the likelihood of emails reaching recipients' inboxes directly.
Furthermore, recipients often trust and engage more with emails sent from professional addresses. This not only improves your deliverability but also enhances your online reputation.
How to create and use a professional email address?
Now that you understand the importance of transitioning from a free email address to a professional one, let's dive into action! Below, you'll find an overview of the steps required to create and effectively use your professional email address in Brevo:
Part 1: Create your professional email address (outside of Brevo)
Creating your professional email address is a process done outside of Brevo and the actual steps will depend on the services you choose for purchasing your domain and creating your email address:
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Choose an email hosting provider
Start by choosing an email hosting provider you want to work with. There are many providers available, such as GoDaddy or OVH, so choosing one usually depends on your budget and the features each offers. -
Use your existing domain or get one
If you already have a website and a domain name, you can use them for your professional email address. Otherwise, you have the option to purchase a domain that matches the name of your company. Your email hosting provider might also propose this service or you can go to a domain registrar. -
Decide on your email name format
Once you've purchased your domain, the next step is to choose your email name format. This decision should take into account the size of your company. Considering potential growth, we recommend you use a format that includes both your first and last name, like "richard.potter@mycompany.com", to prevent any confusion with individuals who may share the same name. -
Verify your domain
Log into your chosen email service provider and verify your domain there. This step ensures that your email address will be linked correctly to your domain. -
Create your professional email address
Finally, create your professional email address from your email service provider account.
Part 2: Use your professional email address (in Brevo)
Now that you've successfully created your professional email address, here's what you need to do to start using it to send emails from Brevo:
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Authenticate your domain in Brevo
Authenticate your domain in Brevo to prove that your emails are legitimate and to increase their chances of landing in your recipients' inboxes.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Authenticate your domain with Brevo (Brevo code, DKIM record, DMARC record). -
Add your professional email address to Brevo
After authenticating your domain, add your professional email address to Brevo as one of your email senders. This straightforward process only takes a few seconds to complete.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Create a new sender. -
Send your email campaigns with your professional email address
Now that your professional email address has been added to Brevo, select it as the sender for your email campaigns.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Create an email campaign, section Sender: choose a sender.
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