Is using a service to get emails out of the Gmail promotions tab a scam?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Gmass explains that focusing on sending highly targeted and personalized emails is essential for getting into the primary inbox. Tactics aimed at gaming the system are likely to be ineffective and potentially harmful.
Email marketer from Sendinblue states that services promising to bypass the Promotions tab often use techniques that violate email best practices and can ultimately hurt your sender reputation. Focus on providing value to your subscribers and building trust.
Email marketer from Litmus emphasizes that the promotions tab is not the spam folder. They suggest focusing on improving email engagement through relevant content and proper authentication, rather than seeking a "magic bullet" solution to bypass the tab.
Email marketer from Mailjet cautions against using services that claim to guarantee inbox placement outside the Promotions tab. They suggest that a more sustainable approach involves improving email content, personalization, and sender authentication.
Marketer from Email Geeks states that "Get out of Promos" is a scam.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests that services that guarantee moving your email from the promotions tab to the primary tab should be avoided as they typically employ methods that risk your sender reputation.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that you can get yourself out of promotions, but it is important to consider if you are sending promotions, or non-promotional email that's ending up in promotions. The promotions tab is an inbox, not a spam folder.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that anyone promising a guaranteed way to bypass the promotions tab is likely using black-hat tactics or making false claims. Building a genuine relationship with your subscribers is more effective in the long run.
Email marketer from StackExchange explained that there is not a legitimate way to guarantee avoiding the Promotions tab. Users can drag an email from the promotions tab to the primary tab, but that can't be done proactively by the email sender, but rather something they do on their end.
Email marketer from Email on Acid recommends focusing on improving sender reputation and engagement rates through clean lists, relevant content, and proper authentication, rather than relying on short-term tactics to bypass Gmail's filters.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign emphasizes that focusing on permission-based marketing, segmentation, and personalization is crucial for landing in the primary inbox and avoiding the promotions tab. Services promising quick fixes often rely on unethical tactics.
Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog explains that while avoiding the promotions tab entirely isn't always feasible, focusing on sending valuable, personalized content can significantly improve inbox placement. Services promising guaranteed removal often employ questionable tactics that can harm your sender reputation.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that trying to dig your way out of the promo tab is a lost cause and an arms race. Someone telling you they can get you out of the promo tab is either full of beans or doing really bad stuff with limited lifespan that puts your own domain reputation at risk. Promo tab is the inbox already.
Expert from Word to the Wise cautions against services that promise to bypass the promotions tab, as these often rely on techniques that violate email best practices and can ultimately harm your sender reputation and deliverability.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that services claiming to guarantee placement in the primary inbox are generally not trustworthy. Legitimate email marketing focuses on building trust and providing value, not tricking the system.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that while not directly addressing the promotions tab, following established email standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for ensuring legitimate email delivery and avoiding spam filters, which indirectly helps in inbox placement.
Documentation from Google Support outlines how Gmail's tab system (including Promotions) is designed to help users organize their inbox. It implicitly suggests that attempting to bypass these tabs through artificial means goes against Gmail's intended user experience.
Documentation from DMARC.org outlines that implementing DMARC (along with SPF and DKIM) is a critical step in verifying sender identity and improving email deliverability, which indirectly influences inbox placement and helps avoid spam filters. It is an industry best practice, not a 'trick'.
Documentation from Microsoft Support on Outlook's junk email filter advises against techniques that attempt to manipulate email placement, as these can be flagged as suspicious behavior and negatively impact deliverability.