Gauging the Impact of Inbox by Gmail on the Email Marketing World

by Victor Green
3 mins read

The email marketing world is on high alert, all thanks to some major news out of the Google camp. As part of the tech giant’s continued emphasis on tweaking its email platform, Inbox by Gmail offers up a stunning new take on how viewers interact with messages in the inbox. While this mobile app update is currently in an invitation only phase, it’s never too early to start planning any campaign adjustments that can take advantage of this change. With this in mind, let’s spend some time going over the particulars of Inbox by Gmail, as well as what kind of impact it could have on your next email marketing initiative.The best place to start this discussion is by talking about just what exactly Inbox by Gmail has to offer for those looking to change how they view messages of all shapes and sizes. As CNET’s Nicole Cozma points out in her breakdown of this app, Inbox by Gmail is all about bundling similar messages together and providing users with a variety of amenities and creature comforts.The stock bundles include purchases, travel, and promos (the big one for the email marketing world), as well as the ability for users to generate a completely customizable bundle tailored specifically to their needs. Additionally, the messages found within each bundle can be sorted based on importance and relevancy, ensuring that nothing gets lost in the chaos of a cluttered inbox.As far as the supporting cast of features goes, Cozma goes on to note that Inbox by Gmail comes with a plethora of options. Chief among these are a “snooze” button that hides messages until a later time, timed reminders, mass deletion and archiving of emails, and “pinnable” messages. The last feature keeps important offerings at the top of the page, regardless of how many new emails enter the inbox.

Understanding the Potential Implications

Naturally, this is a ton of new information to digest, so it’s hard to know how Inbox by Gmail will truly affect the world of email marketing. However, the experts at Forbes magazine have a few ideas in mind for what’s going to change moving forward. First off, with Inbox by Gmail currently only available for smartphone use, chances are that mobile optimization will take on an even greater emphasis than it already does in the development process.Also, creating killer subject lines and preview panes will take on a whole new meaning, all thanks to the focus placed on these portions of the message via the new bundle screen. As for the “From” details of the message, avoiding opaque or indirect attributions is a must, as this information helps sort and rank bundled emails with similar offerings.Finally, the team at Forbes points out that only the foolish won’t take great care to adjust and accommodate to the new precedent set by Inbox by Gmail. While Google claims this development serves only as an alternative to the traditional inbox setting, the same statement applied to the “tab” selections currently utilized by the standard Gmail interface. The moral of the story now hasn’t changed since then – Google doesn’t spend massive amounts of time and resources on new offerings, like Inbox by Gmail, if the plan isn’t to eventually have these changes take the place of former staples.

Building Your Strategic Response

So what can your brand do to stay one step ahead of the impending switch to Inbox by Gmail? To start, make sure your campaign doesn’t just support mobile optimization, it completely embraces this mindset. From responsive template designs to tailoring emails specifically for mobile viewing, giving readers a satisfying experience on this front is a great way to start off on the right foot.Additionally, improving subject line writing, as well as learning more about “above the fold” marketing, can help you maximize the impact your messages have on viewers consuming this content via Inbox by Gmail’s new bundle preview pane. Outside of these concerns, simply remaining committed to offering value-driven and engaging content is your best way to thrive in an environment where Google wants to reward quality selections and punish those who still cling to spam tactics.Thankfully, there’s still plenty of time to adapt and prepare for the big switch. By putting this information to good use and building your plan now, you can gain major ground against the competition and have a winning campaign waiting in the wings once Inbox by Gmail moves out of the invitation only phase and into the hands of millions around the world.

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