How can I get my emails into the Gmail main inbox tab instead of promotions?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit shares that asking new subscribers to reply to your welcome email can help signal to Gmail that your emails are important. Also they say to be careful about the ratio of images to text in your emails, as too many images can trigger the promotions filter.
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that optimizing email design for readability, ensuring a good text-to-image ratio, and making sure your emails are mobile-friendly can help boost engagement and avoid the promotions tab. They advise to always test emails across different devices and email clients.
Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog explains that personalizing emails by using the recipient's name and tailoring content to their interests can improve engagement and inbox placement. Furthermore, he emphasizes segmenting email lists for targeted messaging and avoiding spam trigger words in email content.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that inbox placement depends on various factors including sender reputation, email authentication, and subscriber engagement. They suggest monitoring your sender reputation and promptly addressing any deliverability issues that arise.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests focusing on delivering high-quality, relevant content that your subscribers genuinely want to receive, rather than obsessing over getting into the primary tab. The more value you provide, the more likely your subscribers are to engage with your emails, which can improve inbox placement over time.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that building a good sender reputation by consistently sending valuable content and engaging with subscribers is key to avoiding the promotions tab. They advise to clean your email list regularly by removing unengaged subscribers to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that even though one brand lands in the inbox and another in promotions, the CTR difference is only 1% showing the impact is minimal.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog responds by stating that focus on providing value to subscribers and encouraging them to add your email address to their contacts can improve inbox placement over time. They also recommend testing different subject lines and email formats to optimize for engagement.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that the consensus is to embrace the promotions tab placement. Trying to force emails into the main inbox can lead to increased spam complaints as users may not want the emails but also might not bother unsubscribing.
Email marketer from GlockApps explains it is important to track your email deliverability and inbox placement using tools like GlockApps. Monitor your sender reputation, spam complaint rates, and authentication status to identify and address any issues that may be affecting your inbox placement.
Email marketer from OptinMonster explains to write compelling and non-spammy subject lines that entice users to open your emails. Avoid using excessive punctuation, all caps, or clickbait language that can trigger spam filters.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that maintaining list quality by regularly removing unengaged subscribers and using confirmed opt-in helps improve inbox placement and avoid the promotions tab. They emphasize that engagement is a key factor for mailbox providers.
Expert from Spam Resource recommends avoiding URL shorteners in your email campaigns, as they are often associated with spam and can negatively impact your deliverability. Using direct links to reputable domains improves trust and inbox placement.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests showing clients how to disable tabs in their Gmail account and even incorporating instructions into customer service scripts and email communications.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft explains the importance of list hygiene, removing bounced and inactive addresses, and keeping up-to-date subscriber data for better engagement and inbox placement. They highlight using a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails.
Documentation from RFC explains DMARC works by allowing the owner of a domain to indicate that their messages are protected by SPF and/or DKIM, and tells a receiver what to do if neither of those authentication methods passes – such as quarantine (move to spam) or reject the message. DMARC also provides a reporting mechanism, where email receivers can provide feedback to senders about messages that pass and/or fail DMARC evaluation.
Documentation from Gmail Help explains that adhering to Gmail's sender guidelines, including authenticating emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, is crucial for inbox placement. It also highlights the importance of maintaining a low spam complaint rate and providing easy unsubscribe options.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains how to set up email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify your sending domain, which helps improve deliverability and inbox placement. Proper authentication helps prove that your email is genuinely from you, reducing the chances of being flagged as spam.
Documentation from SparkPost explains if you're using a new IP address, gradually increase the volume of emails you send to establish a positive sending reputation. Sudden large volumes of email from a new IP address can trigger spam filters.