Why do emails end up in the Gmail Promotions Tab?

Google scans incoming emails, and depending on the information received, assigns the email to the Primary Inbox, to the Social Tab, or the Promotions Tab. This is a great idea to ensure that the Primary Inbox remains uncluttered, making it easier for users to find the emails that matter to them the most.

 

There are things you can do to improve the chances of your email arriving somewhere other than the Promotions tab. First, avoid practices that make your messages look like a promotion.

Second, maintain a clean contact database from duplicates and incorrect email addresses nonetheless one method that is absolutely foolproof, and algorithm-proof, is asking your audience to whitelist you. Once your email recipients have told Gmail that your emails are important to them, they will keep sending things into that inbox.

Avoid

• Lots of images in your email: Anything with more than one image looks like a promotion. Stick to emails that look like plain text, as if you sent it from an email software platform. Definitely avoid a masthead and stick to a common, even ordinary email signature.
  
  
• More than one or two links in your email: One link per email. (Not including an Unsubscribe link.) Opinion is divided whether repeating the same link more than once impacts your inbox placement. Tests prove both, so test your own emails to see what the result is. 
• If it’s “from” your organisation, rather than you: Always make the email from you, not your organisation. And, let your personality stand out. People buy from people, not machines. Be sure your audience knows your story and what you stand for.
  
  
• Lots of fancy HTML code in your email: Clever email templates look great and businesses love them, but fancy HTML coded templates often end up in Promotion tabs.

By applying the straightforward principles, you’ll be able to get your email into the Gmail primary inbox.