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New feature from Gmail: Predictive Unsubscribe

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Reading time minutes
By Patrick Schokker

If you use Gmail as your e-mail provider, you've probably noticed all the changes of late. Gmail has a number of new features, such as "smart replies" and confidential mode. But also a whole new design. However, the feature 'Predictive Unsubscribe' is raising concerns among marketers. In this blog, we tell you more about the new feature and explain why this feature need not be a hindrance to email marketing.

How does Predictive Unsubscribe work?

The new feature "Predictive Unsubscribe" literally means predictive unsubscribe. Gmail will proactively show suggestions to users that they can unsubscribe from a recipient's emails. Gmail thus wants to clean up the user's inbox. But it also makes it easier for users to unsubscribe.

Unsubscribe suggestions are based on how many emails a user receives from individual senders. But also on how many of those emails are actually opened.

If you receive many mails from a company but never open them, Gmail will ask you to unsubscribe from this email list. Unsubscribing from an email, can be done with just one click. You no longer have to open the email to unsubscribe via the unsubscribe link.

Gmail predictive unsubscribe

Increase the engagement of your target audience

"Predictive Unsubscribe" is causing a lot of unease among e-mail marketers. They fear that the feature will hinder their ability to reach their target audience. Marketers are also afraid that their mailing lists will get smaller and that other e-mail providers will adopt the feature.

Mailing provider Yahoo has already introduced a similar feature. When someone deletes multiple emails from a particular sender, Yahoo asks the user if they want to unsubscribe from that sender's emails.

Don't worry....
Gmail's new feature is not trying to make sure your marketing efforts are for naught. Rather, your goal is to get your emails opened and your target audience engaged. This is what Google wants, too. They issue the following ultimatum: "Engage your audience or we will help them unsubscribe."

It becomes easier for users to delete emails from annoying (spam) organizations. As a result, the inbox becomes emptier. Thus, your valuable message is actually more likely to stand out in the inbox!

email

Use marketing automation to increase engagement

If you keep your target audience engaged, Gmail will not show the notification to unsubscribe.

Marketing automation can increase engagement in several ways. We share a few ways:

#1. Send the right personalized content

By sending relevant content to your target audience, you have a greater chance of engagement. With marketing automation, you collect interesting data and characteristics from your leads. You use this data to segment your target audience into dynamic lists and create valuable content that matches the characteristics of this list. With features within marketing automation software such as dynamic content you can send personalized content to your target group.

dynamic content

#2. Send content at the right time

If you have the right personalized content, it's important to send it at the right time. With marketing automation, you gain insight into the stage of the customer journey where the lead is. Through lead scoring scores are assigned to each action a lead performs in your emails or on your website. This makes it clear what stage the lead is in and enables you to send targeted emails.

Preset triggers and filters ensure that the right emails are automatically sent to leads per phase. In an earlier blog we wrote about B2B content marketing focused on the stages of the buyer's journey, you can read this blog here >>.

Lead scoring also allows you to monitor how engaged a lead is and whether the lead is opening your emails. If you see that a lead is not opening certain emails and others are, you can try to figure out what this is due to before the lead gets the unsubscribe option through Gmail.

Try to send content that the lead is actually interested in to keep engagement high.

Click here for more information on marketing automation.

 

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Patrick Schokker
Patrick Schokker

About this schurq

General Manager

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