I’ve received about ten emails from those I follow about Gmail this morning. The emails go something like this:
“Hey Gmail user, oh noes! Google has changed everything so that you aren’t getting my emails! Drag my email to primary!”
Uhm, no. Not really. There’s nothing you can send me that is going to make me want your email in my primary inbox. It’s not that I don’t want your emails. I do. I signed up for your email.
However, I don’t want you in my primary inbox. I want things that are important to me getting things done in my primary inbox. I leave gmail open on my computer in a tab, and I’m usually working in other tabs or applications while gmail is open. If something I need to look at arrives, I might stop what I am doing to look at it. Most of the time, I’m stopping what I am doing so I can DELETE your emails because it is cluttering up my workspace.
I’ve deleted lots of emails I would have looked at otherwise if I wasn’t so busy. Your email ends up as a distraction that I do away with.
After having the triaged inbox for a week or so, I am actually reading more of the email newsletters I receive because I can set aside time to read them. They might not be in my primary inbox on my computer, but they’re still in my inbox. When I go to my tablet for reading time, your email is still there. I can read it when I have time.
When I get interrupted by something that is not relevant to my current projects, there is an unconscious irritation, even if I like you. Even my friends can be the recipient of irritation when they show up during my busy times. I’m sorry, friends. I love you.
So no more worries, dear internet marketers of the world. If I’ve subscribed to your newsletter, I’m okay with you being in my inbox. And you’re better off in my promotions tab. Really.
