Sam McNeil, not to be confused with Sam Neill, is our Email Delivery Consultant here at WhatCounts.
Not the same guy, but probably looks equally handsome in that hat.
Recently he sat down to play around Gmail’s new block feature and was awesome enough to give us the 4-1-1, which we’re happy to share with you now.
Even as an email marketing professional, I’m still a personal email user. And like most users, my personal Gmail inbox is often flooded with unwanted email. I’ve taken steps to mark unsolicited email as spam; however, some sneaky marketers are still able to get through.
While I understand that it’s impossible to eliminate every piece of spam from my inbox, it would be nice to be able to manage this a little easier. So, how do you block unwanted emails in gmail?
Enter Gmail Block Sender
This recently launched feature allows Gmail users to instantly block unwanted messages from their inbox.
Prior to this feature, Gmail subscribers were required to categorize an email as spam a few times before the sender was effectively blocked from sending future campaigns. This was admittedly cumbersome and frustrating.
Voila! Block Unwanted Senders With One Button
The Block Sender feature gives Gmail users the power to instantly block bothersome senders, providing a lot more control over their inboxes.
Block Sender Under A Microscope
There are a few different perspectives to examine when evaluating the impact of this feature. As a Gmail user, I am excited about this option. But should I have the same warm and tingly feelings as an email deliverability professional?
The short answer is “yes,” but why?
Gmail lacks a traditional Feedback Loop. Therefore, they are still not sending user-specific information back to the Email Service Providers when it comes to spam complaints.
As we’ve learned over the years, deliverability within Gmail weighs heavily on its users’ actions. Too many negative actions such as spam complaints, bounces, unopened email, etc. will increase the likelihood of a marketer’s email being forwarded to the spam folder, delayed, or not delivered at all.
The Block Sender feature is a win for email marketers because in theory it should reduce repeated spam complaints and/or ignored email from that same subscriber.
With all of that being said, I view this as a winner for both sides. As a customer, I’m able to easily remove unwanted senders from my inbox. Similarly, as a marketer, I’m able to limit potential spam complaints that could negatively impact my ability to reach other subscribers.
Way to go. Gmail!
Also check out The Origin Of Spam and 7 Resources To Avoid Sending Spam.