Have you never been able to increase the open rates of your newsletter? Or, on the contrary, have you noticed a significant decrease in opens in recent months and can’t understand why? We may have the answer to your problem… What if it’s Gmail’s fault? In this article, we analyze a malfunction in the email service confirmed by Mailchimp.
The Gmail Malfunction
For the past few days, a malfunction has been observed within the Gmail email server. The issue was raised by Search Engine Journal, which noticed an unusual drop in the open rates of their newsletter compared to the average numbers.
It seems that this problem specifically affects newsletters. In fact, Gmail automatically moves newsletters to recipients’ spam folders, preventing them from seeing the email and significantly reducing open rates.
Moreover, not everyone checks their spam folder daily. As a result, brands have seen their open rates decline.
Search Engine Journal took the time to contact Mailchimp, a well-established email software on the market, who confirmed the malfunction and its recurrence:
“The problem occurs within Google and the Gmail platform. We are working directly with them to help our users get their campaigns into inboxes.”
Mailchimp spokesperson
What impact does it have on your newsletters? How can you overcome it?
The Gmail malfunction that redirects all newsletters from a brand to users’ spam folders can have several consequences for your business, and it’s safe to say they are not positive. Here’s an overview:
When newsletters end up in the spam folder, users are less likely to see and open them. This can lead to a significant decrease in email open rates, reducing the impact and effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns, as observed by Search Engine Journal.
We won’t tell you anything new, but newsletters are an essential means of communication with your customers and maintaining their engagement. When these newsletters end up in the spam folder, users tend to consider them as unwanted emails without even trying to open them to make sure.
If your customers continue to receive your newsletters in the spam folder, it can harm the perception of your brand and your reputation. Users may see you as unreliable or unprofessional, which can have a negative impact on your credibility and customer relationships.
Despite the fact that the Gmail malfunction is beyond your direct control, there are a few solutions you can implement to mitigate the consequences of this problem:
- Raise Awareness Among Users:
You can directly communicate with your recipients to inform them about the issue and encourage them to check their spam folders to ensure they don’t miss the newsletters. Feel free to provide detailed instructions on how to move newsletters from the spam folder to the primary inbox. - Encourage Users to Mark Newsletters as Not Spam:
You can encourage your customers to manually mark newsletters as not spam when they find them in the spam folder. This can help train Gmail’s machine learning, making it less likely for future emails from your brand to be considered as spam. - Diversify Communication Channels:
In addition to email newsletters, we recommend considering other communication channels (such as social media, push notifications, or mobile apps) to reach your customers. This partially circumvents the Gmail problem and helps maintain user engagement. - Collaborate with Email Service Providers:
If you’re up for it, you can also work closely with email service providers (like Mailchimp) to resolve the issue. These providers may have more significant contacts and influence with Gmail, which can facilitate the resolution of the malfunction.
Does Gmail Offer a Solution to This Problem?
Certainly, Gmail has claimed to be working on a solution to fix this problem. However, in concrete terms, nothing has been announced.
Gmail hasn’t provided any specific timeline, and Mailchimp doesn’t have direct control over this malfunction, which doesn’t occur on its platform.
It seems that both parties are a bit at a loss…
