Has anybody else come across reports that Gmail is testing a feature that lets people give promotional emails a thumbs-up or thumbs-down? So far, Gmail seems to be running experiments with feedback prompts that allow users to explain why they aren't interested in an email, with available options such as having already bought the product, finding the content repetitive, or not being interested in the brand.
If this feature becomes more widespread, it will influence how email marketers approach engagement. Although we currently have open rates, click-through rates, unsubscriptions, and spam complaints, this would provide readers with a more direct way to indicate that a specific promotion isn't relevant to them. What's interesting is that a negative reaction doesn't always indicate the email is of poor quality. Perhaps a person likes the brand but doesn't need the specific offer, or perhaps they have already bought the product being promoted.
I also want to find out whether Gmail will one day make this feedback available to senders via its reporting tools, or whether it will remain something Google uses internally. Presently, this seems to be an experiment rather than a confirmed, universal rollout, so I shouldn't jump to any conclusions about its effect on deliverability at this stage.
Yet it does pose an important question for those who email campaigns—namely, how much greater an emphasis should be placed on relevance and audience segmentation, rather than just on improving open and click rates? If you had subscribers rate your promotional emails this way, would you make any changes to your current email strategy?
If this feature becomes more widespread, it will influence how email marketers approach engagement. Although we currently have open rates, click-through rates, unsubscriptions, and spam complaints, this would provide readers with a more direct way to indicate that a specific promotion isn't relevant to them. What's interesting is that a negative reaction doesn't always indicate the email is of poor quality. Perhaps a person likes the brand but doesn't need the specific offer, or perhaps they have already bought the product being promoted.
I also want to find out whether Gmail will one day make this feedback available to senders via its reporting tools, or whether it will remain something Google uses internally. Presently, this seems to be an experiment rather than a confirmed, universal rollout, so I shouldn't jump to any conclusions about its effect on deliverability at this stage.
Yet it does pose an important question for those who email campaigns—namely, how much greater an emphasis should be placed on relevance and audience segmentation, rather than just on improving open and click rates? If you had subscribers rate your promotional emails this way, would you make any changes to your current email strategy?
