Gmail introduced the "tabbed inbox" in May of this
year, sending shockwaves through the email marketing community. Marketers worried
that they would see a significant drop in their Gmail open rates, but so far
that doesn't seem to have happened. As users adjust to the new layout and
change their habits we may see a deeper shift in open rates. Yes, change is
scary, but don't panic just yet. Going back to marketing fundamentals will help
you adjust to these changes.
How does Gmail's tabbed inbox work?
Emails are sorted into various tabs, including primary,
social, promotions and updates. The primary tab is for a user's personal
email conversations. Social includes updates from sites like Facebook,
LinkedIn and Google+. Promotions contains marketing emails from
companies like Groupon, Living Social, Best Buy, Dell, and so on. The updates
tab catches most of the transactional emails a user receives, like account
balance notifications, eBay invoices, and purchase confirmations.
Emails are sorted by Google behind the scenes. An email with
an unsubscribe link is pretty much guaranteed to go to either the Promotions
tab or the Updates tab. So far we haven't found a way to circumvent this
sorting system, nor do we think you should. The system was put into place to
help users manage their email. Even if a way to circumvent it was found, many
users would be annoyed to find those emails showing up uninvited in their
primary tab. If you really can't stand the thought of landing in promotions, we
recommend you try #5, below.
Those users who access their Gmail account through the iOS
native Mail app (see Mail vs. Gmail if you're confused) won't see the tabbed
inbox. The tabbed inbox is only visible when using the Gmail web client
or the mobile Gmail app.
1. Watch Your Data
Don't freak out! First, watch the data and see what happens.
Pay attention to open rate, open date (how long it sits in the
inbox), click rate and revenue per email. These metrics will tell
you if anything else needs to be done, like segmenting your list or attempting
#5, below. You may not even notice a big shift in your numbers, but the data
will be a much more reliable indicator than gut instinct.
2. Use Subject Lines with Shelf Life
Now that all of their promotional emails are sorted into
another tab, users may not look at them until the end of the day, or every few
days. That means that your "50% Savings Today Only!" email might look
a whole lot less interesting by the time they get to it. Instead, use subject
lines that will get their attention no matter how long they sit in the inbox.
3. Keep it Relevant and Interesting
Email marketers should aspire to do this all the time, but
if you want to have a shot at the primary tab you'll need to step up your game.
The good news is that users who are reading through the emails in their
promotions tab are probably in a mood to shop. You're also not competing with
messages from family members and social media updates. Capitalize on this by
providing engaging, custom content that will capture your readers' attention.
You'll also want to control your frequency. The Gmail tabbed
inbox will make it very easy for customers to see how often you're emailing
them. If they feel like they're constantly deleting your emails, they might be
more likely to unsubscribe. This is even more true if they open their
promotions tab and see three or more unread emails they're not interested in.
4. Take Advantage of Your From Name
The "From" name you choose will be visible to
Gmail readers in the tab's space while emails are unseen. If they know and love
your content, they'll notice it while looking at their primary inbox and
hopefully click over to see what you've sent. It's important to be consistent
with your from name, so that customers will easily be able to identify emails
from you. Establish a record of quality (see #3) and you probably won't find
your open rates damaged.
Check out this example of from names appearing in the Gmail
tabs. Each tab displays how many unseen emails there are in it, as well as the
from names of the first few. When a user clicks on the tab to take a look,
these notifications disappear whether or not the emails have been read.
5. Ask for the Primary Tab
Sometimes all you have to do is ask. We've already blogged
about Groupon's "Don't Miss Out" email, and it's a great example of
this sort of request. You'll want to segment your subscriber list so that you
don't send your non-Gmail customers a meaningless email. Be sure to include
step-by-step instructions on how to move an email from one tab to another and
confirm the change. Just know that many users who are happy with the sorting
system won't move you even if you ask nicely.
Article Credit: http://www.emailonacid.com
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