Hey Reader,

Grab your favorite mug and pour a fresh cup of coffee (or tea) ☕ — we need to chat about your inbox.

AI has already come to search, especially Google - you’ve likely already seen and/or used the AI search summaries and recommendations above search results.

In your Gmail inbox, you’re now going to see something similar, along with the ability to interact with your inbox in much the same way that you might be using AI tools like Magai, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.

As a user, this means that you’ll be able to ask your AI Inbox questions like “when was the last time I got an email from anna@wickedmarvelous.com?” or “find my login details for Wicked Marvelous’s Program Hub”.

This seems helpful, right?

It will also create a VIP section at the top of the inbox (like you see the AI summary at the top of Google search results).

The Lowdown: What is this “AI Inbox”?

Google has officially entered its “Gemini era” with Gmail.

Think of this new AI inbox as a super-smart, slightly ruthless personal assistant.

It’s not just sorting emails into tabs anymore; it’s actively summarizing threads, answering questions like “Who sent me that quote last year?”, and prioritizing emails based on who it thinks is actually important.

Essentially, the AI is trying to “filter out the clutter” so users can see what matters most—like bills or messages from besties—while pushing generic blasts to the side.

What does this mean for you and I as business owners?

With over 1.8 billion Gmail users worldwide, you can bet that at least 30% of your list is gmail email addresses (business and personal).

And… Google says to expect that 60-70% of those users will likely not turn this feature off.

Much like we’re now shifting SEO to also include being discoverable for AI tools, we need to optimize our emails for AI Inbox too.

So, how?

By following the steps below (starting now):

1. Create “Scannable” Content (Feed the Bot!) ​
   The new AI uses “AI Overviews” to summarize emails for users. If you are sending image-heavy emails (like those massive boutique flyers) with very little text, the AI literally can’t read them to tell the user what they are about.
   ​
   ​Action Step: Make sure your emails have actual text in the body. If you use images, always use “Alt Text” that describes the offer.
   ​
   ​Pro Tip: Add a clear, one-sentence summary at the very top of your email (e.g., “TL;DR: Flash sale ends tonight, code inside”). This helps the AI summarize you correctly so you don’t look like noise.
   ​
2. The “Reply” is the New Click ​
   ​This is the big one. The AI looks for “engagement signals” to decide if you are a VIP. It asks: Do they reply? Do they forward this? If people are just passively reading (or ignoring), you might get downgraded.
   ​
   ​Action Step: Stop talking at your subscribers and start talking to them. End your emails with a specific question like, “Hit reply and tell me your #1 struggle with X right now.”
   ​
   ​Why: When a user replies, it tells Gmail, “Hey, I know this person, and I actually like them.” That is virtually a golden ticket to the Primary Inbox.
   ​
3. Spring Clean Your List (Ruthlessly)
   I know, I know—it hurts to delete subscribers. But in this new AI world, having a bunch of “ghosts” on your list who never open your emails is dangerous. The AI sees that lack of engagement and assumes your content is “clutter,” which can hurt your deliversbility for everyone else.
   ​
   ​Action Step: Run a re-engagement campaign. Send a “Do you still want to hear from me?” email. If they don’t click or reply, unsubscribe them. Seriously. A smaller, engaged list is way more powerful than a big, quiet one.
   ​
   ​Pro Tip: Need help with your re-engagement or cold scrub sequence, hit reply and tell me. I’ll share mine with you.
   ​
4. Optimize for the “Nudge” ​
   Even if your email isn’t opened immediately, the AI might show a summary or a “nudge” about it later if it thinks it’s relevant.
   ​
   ​Action Step: Your Subject Line and Preview Text are more critical than ever. Make sure they clearly state the value inside.
   ​
   ​Pro Tip: Avoid “clickbait” that doesn’t deliver, because the AI will figure it out and stop prioritizing you.
   ​
5. Get Personal (For Real) ​
   Generic blasts are going to have a hard time. The AI can now infer relationships based on message content.
   ​
   ​Action Step: Use segmentation! Don’t send the same cattle-call email to everyone. Send specific content to people based on what they clicked last time. Real relevance wins here.
   ​
   ​Pro Tip: Look at who your audience is made up of, what they engage with (specific products or offers), and give them the ability to choose how often they want to hear from you - especially if you send more than 1 email a week.

Create an Action Plan for Moving Forward

Immediate Actions (Next 30 Days):

• Audit your current email templates for text-to-image ratio
• Add clear text summaries to all emails
• Test different formats with small segments

Medium-Term (60-90 Days):

• Develop new templates optimized for AI scanning
• Create engagement-focused content series
• Set up new tracking for AI-specific metrics

Long-Term (90+ Days):

• Monitor AI adoption rates among your subscribers
• Adjust strategy based on engagement data

I know this feels like a lot to digest (and a lot to do), but most of this is already good practice and easy to implement. Once you’ve got a system, it’ll feel second nature.

Question: Would a live workshop to walk through all these changes and implement them be something you’d want?

Hit reply and tell me “yes” or “no”.

Take care,

Anna