Gmail Tabs & the Email Marketing Impact

Gmail recently unveiled an interface facelift dedicated to inbox optimization, splitting its once unified inbox into three separate tabs titled Primary, Social, and Promotions. According to Google, these self-explanatory labels are geared towards adding a new layer of control to the user email browsing experience. Unfortunately, this new format has managed to induce a panic amongst legions of email marketers who are fearful it’ll cause their click-through rates (CTR) to plummet. The reality of the situation is far less dire and continuously developing as people accrue more data.

Mail Chimp conducted an in-depth study comparing and contrasting the CTRs of their emails before and after Gmail’s implementation of the new tabbed inbox. Reviewing statistics derived from over 12 billion emails, they discovered that the new format accounted for a 1% CTR decrease on weekdays and weekends. While this is a small reduction, it’s still noteworthy.

After the initial panic subsided and industry personnel began thoroughly examining the implications of the Gmail tabs, a common consensus emerged: content will always reign supreme. While this new email format may prove detrimental to spam and dirty email marketers, truly compelling and high quality email marketing content will continue to receive recognition via clicks/ impressions.

Due to Gmail’s emphasis on control and optimization, incoming emails aren’t relegated purely to their designated tabs. Users can easily transfer emails to different tabs via the drag and drop method. Gmail will inquire as to whether you wish for it to be permanent, and upon selecting “yes” all future emails from that address will appear in that specific tab. With this in mind, many email marketers are adding messaging urging recipients to move their emails into the Primary tab or to mark it as priority to ensure it shows up in right place.

It’s too early to be able to truly evaluate the email marketing impact imposed by the Gmail tabs. While early indicators suggest CTRs might suffer a slight hit, no empirical statistical evidence suggests that’s a certainty. For now, email marketers should continue pushing out compelling content and informing their readership how to move their emails over to the Primary tab.

Email marketing is just one service available in the vast digital marketing realm. Companies that truly want to establish a foothold in the online space should implement effective paid advertising campaigns, social media optimization, cutting edge design, and SEO tactics. Contact ZOG Digital for an audit today.