A lot’s been said about this, but it feels like everyone’s just following the crowd. To land in the “Promotions” tab is now considered an achievement by marketers.
Yeap. We were flabbergasted as well.
However, the reality we’re facing today is that 4 of 5 email users don’t even bother enabling different tabs. So, you either go to the primary heaven or the dreaded spam.
And because we still believe in bravery, we’ll continue talking about good practices to, as a good marketer, land where you belong.
Content
Work with specific content so users move your emails to “Primary”. Here’s where creativity and engagement enter the game. It’s up to you to create content that is so engaging to the recipient, they won’t have any other choice but to move your emails by themselves. No matter if it’s from the Promotion tab or the Spam folder.
Interactive Content
What about the number of links? How much is too much for a conversation to be considered as “Primary” by email providers? A general rule suggests the ideal number of links should be around 3, counting the “Unsubscribe” button as part of them.
Talk to them
Sometimes, to stop beating around the bush is a good exercise. Ask them to add the “from” address to their contact list. Remember that Primary is designed for peer-peer communication.
You can also ask them to check other tabs to see if your emails have gone there. Once people sign up for your email list, gently invite them to be aware that the initial mail they receive could land on the Promotions Tab or Spam.
Personalize
Name. Wait. What? Are you thinking about greeting recipients by using their first name so you sound “friendly”? Well, that’s fine, but what else? You need to figure out what your audience is like and what would be the best way to approach them.
Continuing on the Peer to Peer field, let’s talk about preparing the perfect mood for the conversation with the recipient. Think: how are you going to invite someone to a date if you don’t make them feel curious about who you are or at least make them laugh? Same happens here. So, first things first: you need to approach recipients as if they were friends.
About Segmentation
Segment and focus on individualization. Don’t shoot all your artillery at once. Massive sending behavior will trigger email providers’ alerts. What to do instead? Try to select certain batches of audiences and slowly start to send them your emails.
Is There a Magic Trick?
Well, not so magical, but here are the biggest flags that could make a world of difference at first sight when email providers decide where to place your email.
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At first sight, what ‘s more important is to determine how heavy the html is. Files under 100KB usually don’t have deliverability issues.
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Also, are you including price tags? That’s usually the reason why you’re being sent to spam or the promotional tab.
Get creative and try different things. Change some variables and see what works and what doesn’t.
A great ally for this task is the A/B testing. Test comparing an email featuring prices and images with one that doesn’t, and observe how your subscribers respond. Do they rely on visuals and pricing to click through, or are they already familiar with your products and confident they’ll find a great deal?
The “How to” You Actually Need
Landing on the Primary Tab (made for personal messages) should not be such a challenge if you are a marketer at heart. If you start focusing on tailored, high-quality content, open rates and engagement rise and better leads always appear.
Just make sure that every mail you send offers something well worth subscribers’ time. Also, be mindful of your sending days. Stick to a routine. That way, even if your email ends up in any other place but the Primary tab, your subscribers will know when to expect something from you and gladly make the effort to find them.