June 7, 2024
You read correctly: in August 2022, Gmail will start introducing lists to Google Workspace accounts! Don't worry if this feature isn't available on your account yet: Google has guaranteed that within 3 months, the feature will be available in all paid Google Workspace accounts. My point of view is that we are facing a turning point for Gmail, a major step that transforms Gmail from a simple email provider to a provider of email marketing services.
Of course, let's not get carried away with enthusiasm. The new implementations of Gmail are too small and limited to say that Gmail is an email marketing tool like, for example, Active Campaign. However, the direction taken by Google seems quite clear, and perhaps over time Gmail could become a valid alternative to the most powerful email marketing tools in the world.
In this article, I intentionally do not consider, as it is not within my direct expertise, the issue of GDPR compliance for such a tool. However, it is a fundamental issue that I recommend you discuss with a lawyer or a competent professional figure before taking any action with Gmail lists.
Lists are a collection of contacts to which you can send emails. To give you an idea, instead of sending emails by typing individual contacts in the BCC field, you can enter the name of the preferred list in the recipient field, and the email will be delivered to all contacts included in that list. Just like in Active Campaign, Mailchimp, and other Email Marketing services.
A wonderful new feature is that the body of the email will become an HTML email body, allowing users to create a more professional layout by inserting buttons, images, and especially giving emails an attractive and recognizable graphical appearance.
Being effectively an email marketing activity, when you use the lists, there will be an unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email, and at any time, anyone can unsubscribe from the list.
Since Gmail is at the beginning of this journey, I recommend this tool if you are new to this world and want to start with email marketing, perhaps by creating a simple list of contacts to send a newsletter to.
If you are just starting out with email marketing or if you have no further needs, Gmail lists will be perfect. You can create lists, for example, with your customers and send them targeted communications, or you can create lists with people who have contacted you but have not yet become your customers and try to convert them. However, always remember that anyone can unsubscribe from the list at any time.
If you expect to do what you already do with Active Campaign, I'm sorry, but you will have to continue doing it excellently with Active Campaign, and honestly, I think it doesn't make sense to split the email flow between the two tools.
In conclusion, a great tool for starting email marketing, and a significant shift for Gmail. It wouldn't surprise me to see Gmail emerge as a leader in email marketing services in the future, given its capabilities and experience.