I wanted to make you aware, if you haven’t heard already, of the newest release from Google called the “Promotions Tab” on Gmail. This change requires Gmail users to click on a separate tab to view your newsletters or promotional emails, called “Promotions”. This will make delivering emails and newsletters from any email address that is used with a third party email marketing service very difficult. That means, even if you use your own email (emi@101) as the “from” email address when sending an email from constant contact, mailchimp, or any other marketing service, then Google will associate all of your emails from that address as a “promotion”.

Don’t panic. This change absolutely affects email marketing across the world, but here a few steps to ensure your emails still get through:

1) Notify your email list and customers ASAP with instructions on how to remove your newsletters from this “promotions” tab. You can post on social media networks or include a small notification about it on the next newsletter. Suggested example:
“Make sure you’re getting our emails!
Attention Gmail users: If you want your (Company Name) special events, promotions, and important messages to go into your Primary in-box, you can just drag a message from the Promotions tab into the Primary tab, then click “yes” when it asks if you want to do that for all of our messages.”

If your customers do Step 1 then you are free of worry. Unfortunately, there is a slim chance that will happen, therefore the following are tips to help you reach your customers:

2) Create anticipated content. If your content is useful, helpful, engaging, and they are expecting it, then they will find and read it.

3) Focus on your super fans. Write newsletters that are intended for those super fans and make the crazies go even crazier about your brand. Give them incentives and promotions to keep them coming back.

4) Deliver your blog posts via email. If the content is right, then they will want to read it. This is a great way to make yourself a familiar and valued face. If you blog often (more than once a day), then a weekly email summary of blog posts is recommended.

5) Create time-sensitive offers. Your audience will start to make your emails a priority if you’re sending time-sensitive offers to them. These need to be really awesome offers that directly relate to your brand. The users will quickly learn that they don’t want to miss out on your emails.

6) Post about your latest newsletter/email on your social networks. Most email marketing platforms have an auto post feature to use. If we handle your Social Media Management, then we will create custom posts for each newsletter that you send.

Let me know if you need any assistance with these steps. I’m here to help.
Read more on this topic here: http://business.time.com/2013/07/29/gmail-segregates-promotions-why-this-wont-slow-down-the-e-mail-marketing-machine/

::EM::