The tab system within Gmail offers its users the ability to classify their email appropriately based on five types of messages: Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, and Forums. Promotions tab contains marketing emails and promotional offers, and, sometimes, that's where your newsletters might end up.
Only Google itself knows what algorithms are used to decide what emails go into each tab. By using Google Algorithm as a filter system, it goes through all your email and separate incoming emails into specific categories, so there's no way our email marketing could control which Gmail tab your email will appear under.
However, you can use some tips to reduce the chances to be on the Promotions tab:
- Mention the subscriber's name: Use the subject line and one of the first lines of the email to greet your recipient by the first name by personalizing it with shortcodes . Using first names can also improve open rates and click-through rates for those not using Gmail. The more personal the email, the more likely it is to get delivered to the correct place.
- Reduce the number of links and images in the email: The more links and images there are in an email, the more promotion it looks like. Google Algorithm seems to be based on links, phrases, and picture count. Plain text emails can work great! Also, try to avoid writing subject lines ALL IN CAPS and using spammy phrases like "Limited time only", "Act now! Don't hesitate", "Save big money".
- Test before sending: You should test content and preview it before officially send it to your subscribers. You can do it use this great tool from the team at Litmus to do it.
- Ask subscribers to move your email from one tab to another: All they need to do is drag and drop your message from one category to another. When a subscriber moves one of your campaigns from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab, Gmail asks whether it should always deliver your campaigns there.
Just remember: there's no guarantee that following these tips your email will not end up on the Promotions tab. As explained above, it's not up to Bizink's email marketing decide in which tab your email will appear. It's up to Google Algorithm.