Gmail Usage Hits 1.5 Billion Mark November 07, 2018, | Posted by Samantha

Last week, Google announced via a tweet that their email platform, Gmail, reached 1.5 billion users worldwide. It’s been the case for some time now that Gmail is in a class of its own, far ahead of Yahoo and Outlook when it comes to user base; the announcement from Friday only highlights the importance of the platform. Site Impact’s experts make a point of keeping track of news across the email industry, and Google’s email platform hitting 1.5 billion users actually amounts to much more than just an interesting piece of news.

One of the primary concerns for email marketers is that their campaigns will render properly for recipients. While of course there are still many reasons to ensure that--for example--designs are optimized for the iPhone platform, Gmail having 1.5 billion users as of last week does mean that they dominate the field when it comes to recipients, and the tone that they set--along with the capabilities they offer--are seminal to the industry as a whole. And there are no signs that Gmail user acquisition will slow down anytime soon; especially with Android phones gaining more of a share of the market, on a global level, Gmail has become the standard.

Industry veteran Ryan Phelan says, that Gmail, “Just became the standard. That means continued education on Gmail standards for a substantial ‘better than legal’ mailing practice along with engagement-based segmentation practices.” And the experts here at Site Impact don’t disagree; with its huge share of users, Gmail--along with its capabilities and algorithms--has become the default, while other ISPs (even though still relevant) are secondary considerations.

We’ve covered some of Gmail’s most notable changes and updates in this blog, from the rollout of their new inbox features for desktop access to their mobile email upgrades including the capabilities for more interactive features as well as their verification systems, rolling out this year and beyond. As Gmail takes more and more of the user base, brands will have to optimize for their preferences and algorithms or lose out on valuable customers.

Google has also been making moves in recent months to streamline the experience of its cross-channel platform for users, which means that brands and marketers will have to be more cognizant than ever before of how their behavior on one part of Google’s network can impact the effectiveness of their campaigns in another one. Reputation with Google is going to continue to be a vitally important aspect of strategy and success; if Google doesn’t trust a brand, it can spell long-term doom to that brand’s marketing efforts.

All in all, the fact that Google has taken on more than 1/7 of the global population as users of its Gmail platform is something that brands and marketers can’t afford to ignore. In order to keep getting the best possible ROI for email marketing efforts, Gmail’s rules and preferences have to become the priority, or brands will begin missing out and seeing their returns diminish. Contact Site Impact to hear how we can make sure that your campaigns are right as they should be for Google’s email platform, and take the guesswork out of appealing to the biggest email provider on the planet.