How can marketers help educate users?

Here's the thing: your emails are constantly teaching subscribers what legitimate messages from your brand look like. Every subject line, sender address, and CTA pattern trains their eye. So you might as well be intentional about it.

Start with consistency. Use the same sender address every time. Keep your subject lines clear (no artificial urgency or weird formatting). When you ask subscribers to take action, do it the same way each send. Phishing emails rely on confusion and novelty. Your patterns should feel reassuringly familiar.

Embed security education directly into campaigns. A brief note like "We'll never ask you to confirm your password via email" sticks far better than a separate training email. Show them what you won't do. If you mention a link, explain why you're sending them somewhere. That transparency trains recognition of suspicious urgency.

Set up proper authentication protocols so your emails consistently pass DMARC, SPF, and DKIM checks. Users don't need to understand the acronyms. They just need to see your emails arrive consistently from your domain with security indicators. That builds trust. When impersonators try your brand name, they'll fail authentication.

Avoid the habits that train bad behavior. Don't use urgent language just to boost clicks. Don't request sensitive info (passwords, SSNs, financial details) through email. Don't create urgent red-button CTAs. Those patterns make users paranoid about all emails, including yours. A subscriber trained to click emergency buttons is a liability to everyone. Related: phishing emails.

The goal isn't to make your emails preachy or obvious. It's to model what good email feels like so your subscribers can spot the fakes. Next step: audit your last five sends for patterns that could accidentally look suspicious, then lock those patterns in place consistently.