Marketing
How to Keep Guest Emails Out of the Promotions Folder
Petar Ojdrovic
The more HTML and formatting you pack into an email, the more likely it gets filtered into the promotions folder where most people rarely look. Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook have learned that mission-critical messages from real people tend to be simple and text-based, not heavily designed promotional blasts.
If your message looks like it was sent to 5,000 people at once, it will be treated that way. But if it reads like a personal note from one human to another, it lands in the primary inbox where actual conversations happen. That means stripping back the fancy templates, reducing embedded images, and focusing on plain text with a clear, personal tone.
A simple message that says, "Hey, we just got a foot of snow and we're expecting more this weekend. You've stayed with us before. We'd love to offer you 10% off if you book right now," will outperform a beautifully designed newsletter every time. It feels personal, contextual, and relevant. That's what gets read and what drives action.
The impulse to make everything look polished is strong, especially for brand-conscious operators. But the new rules of guest engagement prioritize connection over design. Keep it simple, keep it human, and your messages will reach the people who matter most.
