but I disagree

One “best practise” that I keep seeing for welcome emails is to ask the subscriber to move the email from the Promotion to the Primary tab in Gmail.

The same also applies to Hotmail users if they choose a focused style inbox, but here’s the thing.

I don’t think it’s a must-have or a best practice.

I think it’s self-important.

Primary vs Promotion tab in Gmail

You shouldn’t ask your new subscribers to move you to their primary inbox and here is my case for why:

It’s not about you

It’s a for-you thing, not for your audience.

It helps you reach them where their attention is, but it’s selfish to assume you’re important enough to them for that. Especially if you just signed up.

Defeats the purpose of the focused style inbox

Since I started using the focus inbox style in my Gmail a month or so ago, I have LOVED the fact that subscriptions are separate from emails that I need to see or respond to.

It keeps me organised and focused on what I am doing. And when I want to, I’ll go and read the marketing in my Updates tab.

I am in charge, and that’s the point.

You should earn the right

And since I am in charge, I can decide if I want to see more of your emails in my Primary tab.

Either I expect to hear from you with something important or because what you have been sending has been pretty damn good and I want to see more of it.

Don’t be so self-important as to think that a stranger who’s never gotten an email from you before would want to see it at the top of their primary inbox. Earn that spot by sending interesting and valuable emails, making them want more.

That’s it, thank you for coming to my tedtalk. 🎤