Gmail has jumped on the bandwagon that Apple started a few months ago.
It’s the nuclear option to a very real problem: inboxes are out of control.
Spam pitches.
“Last chance to buy” emails.
Promises to deliver “10 to 20 qualified leads.”
That’s the noise your emails have to rise above or risk the dreaded 1-2-3-click:
Delete
Unsubscribe
And now:
Summarise this email
No matter how much effort you—or your copywriter—put into pouring your heart into your launch sequences or emails, with just one click, it all becomes two or three bullet points that an AI algorithm decides are “important.”
It’s a wake-up call.
Because if you haven’t invested in nurturing the relationship with your subscribers—and if your messaging isn’t cutting through the noise—you’ve had it.
This isn’t anything new. It’s just the Spam folder on steroids.
It’s what Gary Halbert referred to as the A-Pile and the B-Pile.
So, how do you make sure you make the A-cut?
The same way we always did:
1️⃣ Never stop getting to know your customers better
Speak to them. Show an interest in them. Ask them what they’re struggling with, why they bought from you, or why they didn’t. And listen if the topics begin to change—it’s an early warning triage that your messaging is drifting away.
2️⃣ Speak their language
See all that industry jargon and buzzwords creeping into your copy? So do your customers. It’s what everyone else in your industry is saying, and it just washes over them. Be different.
3️⃣ Have something interesting to say
Every email should teach your customers something new—about you, your product, or how it helps them. Or even your opinion on Timothée Chalamet playing Bob Dylan.
(you can guess what I did at the weekend. 10/10 would recommend)
4️⃣ Be unforgettable
Be a real person with opinions and ideas your reader cares about. Make your emails something they look forward to—not something they’d ever want AI to summarise.
5️⃣ Leave them wanting more
I’m not just talking about open loops teasing the next email’s content (though that can help). If you’ve done your job right, your subscribers will trust you to guide them through the chaos life throws their way.
Why would they ever unsubscribe?
The inbox might be noisier than ever, but if you want your subscribers to tune in to you and block out the rest, your emails and social posts need to be ones they can't afford to miss—no matter what new AI-dea threatens to come between you and your fans.
And if you need help to articulate that for your customers, send me a message and let’s chat.
Think of me as your noise-canceling copywriter.
Stuart