Gmail's Promotions tab: a problem?

Many people panic when their newsletter lands in the Promotions tab. That is not the spam folder.

What it actually is

A classification, not a filter. The message is delivered and readable. People who use that tab open it deliberately for offers.

When it is genuinely a problem

For transactional mail. An order confirmation in Promotions is misfiled, and that is worth fixing.

What influences the classification

Many links, promotional images, commercial vocabulary and bulk sending. A short, personal, link-light message has a better chance of the primary tab.

Separate your channels

This is the most effective measure: send transactional mail through a different channel and subdomain from marketing.

Do not ask readers to move you

It rarely works and costs credibility. Focus on making the content relevant instead.