Make Your Emails Shine in Gmail Promotions Tab with Annotations
Email annotations can be a game-changer for marketers looking to boost engagement with their Gmail promotions. By adding features such as images, deals, and expiration dates directly to your emails in the Promotions tab, you can capture users’ attention and encourage them to interact with your content without even opening the email.
What Are Email Annotations?
Email annotations are additional elements added to your email’s HTML code using JSON-LD or Microdata. These annotations enable Gmail users to preview and interact with your promotions directly from their inbox, enhancing the user experience and increasing the likelihood of engagement.
How to Implement Email Annotations
1. Deal Annotations
Deal annotations provide users with text-based details about your promotion, such as discount codes or expiration dates. To create a deal annotation:
• Open your email’s HTML editor.
• Add a script tag in the head section with the data type “DiscountOffer.”
• Customize the properties such as description, discount code, start and end dates according to your promotion.
2. Product Carousels
Product carousels allow you to showcase multiple image previews for your promotion. Here’s how to create one:
• Open your email’s HTML editor.
• Add a script tag in the head section for each image in your carousel, using the “PromotionCard” object.
• Customize properties like image URL, promo URL, headline, price, and discount value for each card.
Sample code and preview provided below.
Preview and Best Practices
Before sending your annotated emails, preview them using the Gmail Promotions tab preview tool. Here are some best practices to consider:
Images:
• Use high-quality visuals that showcase your products or lifestyle elements.
• Crop images effectively; supported aspect ratios are 4:5, 1:1, and 1.91:1.
• Maintain image freshness by avoiding reused visuals.
• Always use HTTPS URLs for image links.
Deal Badge:
• Keep it concise and specific. Highlight the core aspects of your promotion (e.g., discount or free shipping).
• Avoid lengthy descriptions; aim for 4 words or less.
Logo URL:
• Utilize HTTPS URLs for your logo.
Discount Code:
• Only include a discount code if it’s featured within the email itself.
Expiration Date:
• Leverage this feature to trigger email previews at the top of the Promotions tab twice: upon sending and within 3 days of expiry.
• Ensure the expiration date is accurate to avoid the email being categorized as an old offer.
• Include time zone details (e.g., “2024-12-31T23:59:59-08:00”).
By following these guidelines and implementing email annotations effectively, you can maximize the visibility and impact of your Gmail promotions, driving higher engagement and conversion rates. Start leveraging this powerful feature today to stand out in users’ inboxes and drive meaningful interactions with your brand.