Email marketing is suffering thanks to Gmail tabs

Usually, changes to any interface, especially one that’s used daily such as email, are not welcomed changes by users. In the case of the tabbing features on Gmail, there has been a huge change to the way we see our emails. It’s killing marketers. What can they do to fix it?

Marketing is always most effective when it is delivered with something else of value. If you open your postal mailbox and its nothing but ads, you tend to throw the whole bunch away. But, if one offer comes along with other interesting pieces of mail or if it includes something valuable like a gift card or a coupon, you tend to give it more attention.

The same goes for email. One marketing message that sits alongside emails from friends and family is much more likely to be looked it or at least considered. That’s why Google’s new Gmail layout, with the addition of Gmail Tabs, is causing such a stir within the marketing industry. It limits the opportunity for marketers to deliver their messages alongside other valued messages.