How can I determine the percentage of my emails landing in Gmail's promo tab and is it necessary to avoid it?
Summary
What email marketers say16Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that improving email content, using segmentation, and maintaining a clean email list will help improve inbox placement and avoid the promotions tab.
Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog suggests avoiding spam trigger words, ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and maintaining a clean email list as key strategies to avoid spam filters and improve inbox placement.
Email marketer from Validity Blog discusses using seed lists and inbox monitoring tools like Everest to estimate inbox placement, including placement in the promotions tab.
Email marketer from Litmus Blog suggests to A/B test subject lines to avoid promotional language that may trigger Gmail's promotional filters and land your email in the promotions tab.
Marketer from Email Geeks says that if an email is too markety/salesy/promotional, it belongs in the promo tab.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor explains that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks, improving email deliverability and inbox placement.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests to regularly clean email lists by removing inactive subscribers and bounces, which helps maintain a good sender reputation and improves deliverability.
Email marketer from GlockApps Blog recommends using their inbox placement tester tool to monitor where emails land, including specific tabs in Gmail. They emphasize that consistent testing is important for maintaining good deliverability.
Marketer from Email Geeks argues that the promo tab can actually help conversion depending on content. He believes primary tab is for personal contacts, social tab is for social media, and promo tab is for promotions and that there are better uses of time than trying to avoid the promo tab.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that focusing on providing valuable content and avoiding overly aggressive sales pitches can help improve inbox placement and reduce the likelihood of emails landing in the promotions tab.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that inbox placement monitoring services like GlockApps or Validity can give a general idea of promo tab placement for specific campaigns.
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that creating engaging and personalized content can improve open rates and click-through rates, signaling to Gmail that your emails are valuable and less likely to be placed in the promotions tab.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that inbox filtering and folder-preference settings are not visible externally due to privacy and technical limitations. Test sends provide inorganic data, and he shares a link to perspectives around the Promotions tab.
Marketer from Email Geeks considers landing in the promo tab the same as landing in the inbox for promotional messages, as users who use tabs expect promotions there. He also shares that promotional placement has benefits, as people who use tabs go to the promotional folder when they are looking for deals.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that Google thinks it's doing users a favor by putting emails in the promo tab. She suggests setting up test accounts on Gmail to monitor placement and links to an article about why avoiding the promo tab may not matter as much as you think.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog states that having a good sender reputation is crucial for inbox placement. They suggest to monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and promptly address any issues.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource emphasizes that focusing on sending wanted mail to people who want it is more crucial than obsessing over specific tab placement, as engagement drives deliverability.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that while marketers might initially worry about the promotions tab, it provides an opportunity to reach users who are specifically looking for deals and offers. Quality content and relevance are key.
Expert from Word to the Wise suggests that Gmail tabs are designed to improve user experience and that marketers should focus on creating engaging content that users want to receive, rather than trying to circumvent the tab system.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help states that Gmail automatically sorts emails into categories such as Primary, Social, Promotions, etc., and that users can customize these settings. Senders have limited control over where Gmail places emails.
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains using Microsoft Sender Reputation Data to understand potential deliverability issues and whether your email is being filtered as spam or junk.
Documentation from RFC Editor explains the technical specifications of Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and how it can be used to authenticate email and improve deliverability. Correctly configured SPF records are essential.
Documentation from dmarc.org explains the purpose and technical aspects of DMARC implementation for better email authentication and security.