Some email applications (e.g., Gmail, Apple Mail) have "categories" into which email messages are automatically placed. How email messages are directed to these categories is based on proprietary algorithms that these companies do not make public.
NOTE: The content in this article is relevant to Higher Logic Thrive Communications customers who send email messages to their Contacts. The instructions focus on the two more popular email clients: Google's Gmail and Apple Inc.'s Apple Mail.
Common mailbox categories
This section provides a look at categories and how they are used.
Gmail
| Category | Contents |
|---|---|
| Primary | The recipient's most important messages and those from established contacts |
| Social | Messages from social media |
| Promotions | Messages related to marketing, deals, and offers from retailers |
| Updates | Transactional messages, e.g., notifications, receipts, confirmations, invoices |
| Forums | Messages from forums, mailing lists, and discussion boards |
Learn how to add or remove inbox categories in Gmail.
Apple Mail
| Category | Contents |
|---|---|
| Primary | Find personal messages and time-sensitive information |
| Transactions | Keep track of your confirmations, receipts, and shipping notices |
| Updates | Catch up on news, newsletters, and social updates |
| Promotions | Browse your coupon and sales emails |
NOTE: When a Transactions, Updates, or Promotions message includes time-sensitive information, it is also directed to the Primary category.
Learn how to use categories in Mail on Mac.
Learn how to use categories in Mail on iPhone.
The sections that follow present information and tips on what you, as the sender, can do to better ensure that your messages are directed to the Primary category in your recipients' email clients.
Tips to help your messages land in the Primary category
This section provides tips (for email senders) that increase the likelihood of their messages being directed to the Primary category.
Avoid promotional language
Content that resembles typical marketing templates is often more likely to be flagged as promotional. Some of the better known indicators are images, videos, banners, call-to-action buttons (e.g., "Buy Now" and "Click Now"). Marketing language, promotional language, and generic and spammy words are also known indicators.
Email messages are scanned and their content is queried in order to determine whether the content is similar to other promotional messages. The aspects of a message that are frequently reviewed are: the message's copy, the number and placement of images, the length of the message (shorter is better), and the number of links.
Promotional email messages tend to have:
- a lot of "eye-catching" images - use images sparingly and appropriately
- multiple links - make sure that the websites and domains in your links have a good reputation
-
too much formatting - avoid formatting that is very complex, especially in the message's HTML (headers, graphics, and other elements).
- It's recommended that messages be crafted to seem to be individually written and sent; this gives them more of a "one-to-one conversation" feel, rather than a blast with lots of formatting and HTML tags.
- Try to keep the text-to-HTML ratio to 60:40.
- Plain-text emails with minimal links and images have a better chance of being directed to the Primary category.
Send valuable content
Create email content that people want to receive. Your contacts are far more likely to engage with your content if it is interesting or appealing to them.
Personalize your email messages
Personalize your messages by:
- addressing recipients by name and
- tailoring the content to the recipients' interests.
This personalization can make your messages appear more relevant and less like mass marketing.
Use a recognizable sender name
Make sure that your sender name is recognizable and trustworthy. This can increase the likelihood of your messages being being directed to the Primary category.
Sender reputation
If the algorithm thinks that the sending account typically sends promotional content, it's likely to direct messages from that account to the Promotions category.
Recommended practices for email messages
Below are a few recommendations for how the different parts of the message should be handled.
- Subject line: clear and concise
- Message greeting: professional in tone, style, and formatting
-
Message body: content-appropriate tone (i.e., formal vs informal) and a clear message
- Get straight to the point
- Prioritize key information
- Apply formatting (bold, italic, bullets) when appropriate for the content; don't overdo it
- Avoid repetition
- Calls to Action: when applicable, have a closing statement with one clear call to action
- Sign off & signature: professional in tone, style, and formatting
- Footer: clearly delineated, with an Unsubscribe link
Test your message
Be sure to test your message with different lengths and formats, and then make any necessary changes to optimize it before sending.
To learn about testing a message, see: Create a Message.
Recipient behaviors
Mailbox providers look at and assess two things:
- Overall recipient behavior - how recipients have interacted with similar content in the past.
- Individual recipient behavior - how the individual recipient has interacted with previous content from the sender.
Recipient actions to improve deliverability
In addition to the things that you can do to improve your message deliverability, your message recipients (i.e., your account's Contacts) can do a few things on the receiving end.
We recommend that you ask your contacts to do the following.
Move Your Emails
Encourage your contacts to manually move your email messages to the Primary category.
- Gmail: see Improve how Gmail sorts your emails.
- Apple Mail: see Change the category of a sender.
Add your email address to their Contacts
Encourage your contacts to add your email address to their list of contacts. Messages from known contacts are more likely to be directed to the Primary category.
Reply to your message
Encourage your contacts to reply directly from your message. This indicates familiarity between themselves and the sender.
Mark your message as Important
Encourage your contacts to mark your message as being "important."
- Gmail example: recipients can "star" a message to mark it as important, and future mail from that sender will automatically be directed to the Primary category.
Create a filter for your messages
Encourage your contacts to filter your messages.
- Gmail example: recipients can open your message and then, via the vertical ellipsis menu, click the "Filter" option in order to create a "category override" (to the default classification) that is specific to your email address.
Manage their categories
Encourage your contacts to use their inbox categories, and to customize them in order to maximize their use and effectiveness. For example, recipients can:
- Hide/disable categories that they don't use
- Rename categories to make them more "intuitive" for themselves
- Create categories as necessary in order to keep their messages as logically organized as possible
Related articles
Ultimately, the success of your mailing initiatives is in your hands.
It's up to you to create messages that ensure the best possible deliverability rates. As a result, your mailing practices can be a direct influence on how your Contacts engage with your messages.
To help you be successful, Higher Logic has provided "deliverability" information in this knowledge base.