Helicopter email
It turns out that most people don’t need Gmail tabs to sort their emails for them anymore.
According to a study conducted by Return Path last December, only 34% of Gmail users use the tab feature.
Keeping tabs on your email
Gmail introduced their sorting method four years ago as a way to automate inbox organization.
For anyone not using Gmail, tabs work in a similar way as sorting documents into folders on your computer.
The tabs featured on Gmail are Primary, where the majority of your emails go, Social, Promotions and Updates.
Tabs in action
As emails are sent to you, Gmail filters them, filing them into the proper place so that you can avoid the majority of spam. The idea itself is a good one, and many found it useful at first.
However, since the launch of the tabs feature, when usage was at 100%, many have disregarded it altogether.
For most, it’s easier to avoid those emails by just not checking the sections you’re not interested in.
Tabs really aren’t that helpful
Data collected from over 1,600 Gmail users by Return Path shows that only about a third even utilize the tabs.
Of those people, most are checking the Social emails, at 68%, and Promotions is trailing right behind at 60%.
Once the data is broken down to how much people check those sections, the numbers start to decline. For example, less than half of people who use the Promotions folder check it daily.
Why check them if all they do is cull your junk
The research also breaks down what types of emails are sorted into each tab. This may be a reason why people don’t check these sections. The Promotions tab is likely to have emails from sporting goods stores and deals from retailers. The Social tab has emails from social industries and media.
[clickToTweet tweet=”The most common emails found in the Updates section are for banking and finance.” quote=”The most common emails found in the Updates section are for banking and finance.”]
Again, considering the content it is no wonder why users steer clear of their tabs. What once started as a nice idea is now just an extra step that sorts junk mail.
