Each marketing avenue has its own unique journey. While SEO remains relatively steady, it demands constant vigilance due to algorithm shifts. Meanwhile, PPC struggles to keep up with frequent Google Ads changes and privacy updates. Amidst all this, email marketing, at 43 years young, continues to thrive, boasting an impressive $36 return for every dollar invested.

However, the arrival of privacy-focused updates like Apple iOS 15 and macOS Monterey in September has introduced some turbulence. These updates have rendered several common email marketing tactics ineffective and potentially detrimental to your results. The challenge lies in identifying these tactics, as you can technically still employ them. However, the data used to execute and evaluate these strategies will be inaccurate. This can lead to misaligned messaging and a decline in ROI. To navigate these changes effectively, we’ll delve into the following:

• A detailed explanation of the iOS update
• The extent of its impact
• Strategies to discontinue
• 13 alternative strategies for success

Decoding the iOS 15 Update

Apple’s iOS 15 update, released on September 20, 2021, introduces two new privacy features for email users. These features, which are of particular interest to marketers, are:

• Hide My Email
• Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) Before exploring these features in detail, let’s examine the update’s reach and potential impact in terms of users and email clients.

Assessing the Impact of iOS 15 on Email Marketing

Initially, concerns about iOS 15 were minimal, as only roughly only 33% of emails in the U.S. are opened on iPhones. However, the October 25 release of macOS Monterey, which extends the aforementioned privacy features to Apple computers and laptops, raised valid concerns. Data from Q1 2021 by Litmus paints a clearer picture. Apple mail emerges as the dominant player, accounting for 58% of desktop and 90% of mobile email opens:

Interestingly, the percentage of webmail opens nearly doubles that of desktop opens and trails mobile opens by only seven percentage points.

The most popular webmail client? Gmail. Apple’s webmail (iCloud Mail) doesn’t even register.

Despite this, with 62.4% of all emails being opened on Apple-dominated mobile and desktop platforms versus 36% on Gmail-dominated webmail, there is a legitimate cause for concern, but not for panic. Let’s explore why.

Unveiling Hide My Email

Hide My Email empowers users to share randomly generated email addresses when filling out forms or registering on websites. These addresses forward messages to their inbox without revealing their actual email address to the sender. This option is available when users choose “Sign in with Apple” or if they are iCloud+ users browsing with Safari.

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The Impact of Hide My Email on Email Marketing and Beyond

The ability to create unlimited proxy/fake email addresses has significant implications. If a user modifies or deletes a proxy address, they might lose access to services associated with that address, resulting in hard bounces and a lack of unsubscribe information for the sender. Furthermore, email addresses serve as unique identifiers in automation platforms and CRMs, enabling businesses to personalize their marketing and customer service efforts. If a lead uses a proxy address to sign up, the automation system won’t recognize this and will continue sending them marketing emails, potentially leading to unsubscribes due to irrelevant content. Consider a customer service scenario. If a user provides their real email address, the representative won’t find their account if it’s linked to a proxy address.

Navigating Hide My Email

The implications of Hide My Email extend beyond email marketing. However, it’s worth noting that only paid iCloud+ account holders using Safari can utilize Hide My Email within web forms, according to Admonsters. Fortunately, Safari’s global market share is less than 20%. Another reassuring factor is the opt-in nature of these settings. Users who click your sign-up button likely trust your brand enough to share their real email address. However, future-proofing your strategy by using an alternative unique identifier within your marketing ecosystem is recommended.

Understanding Mail Privacy Protection (MPP)

To grasp MPP, it’s crucial to understand how email automation platforms track open rates. They embed a tracking pixel in every email sent. This pixel downloads when the email is opened and relays information back to the platform, such as the time and frequency of opens and the user’s IP address. Mail Privacy Protection prevents this pixel from downloading directly to the user’s device, masking their activity and location from email marketers.

With MPP, Apple, much like it did with iOS 14’s App Tracking Transparency, positions itself between the user and the third-party tools marketers rely on for accurate measurement and personalization. (If you’re facing challenges with Facebook ads, consider these post-iOS update strategies.)

The Impact of Mail Privacy Protection on Email Marketing

As of October 1 (10 days after the iOS 15 rollout), the MPP adoption rate was 20%. Constant Contact’s this Litmus post report revealed that average email open rates remained stable at 17.6% in the months before and after iOS 15. However, by November 17, MPP adoption had risen to 30%.. Another source indicates that currently, 60% of Apple users have installed iOS 15, and 97% of those have enabled MPP. This suggests that iOS 15’s impact on email marketing performance could become more pronounced over time. Let’s explore the specific impacts of MPP:

Inflated Open Rates

Contrary to expectations, MPP doesn’t necessarily result in lower open rates. While the tracking pixel remains embedded in emails, instead of landing directly on the user’s device, emails are now routed through a proxy server. This server downloads the email content, including the pixel. This content is then stored in Apple’s Privacy Cache. When a user opens an email, they view this cached version, bypassing the original email and its tracking pixel. This process means the email, along with the pixel, is downloaded by the proxy server irrespective of whether the recipient opens it (highlighted in red above), leading to artificially inflated open rates.

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Email Marketing Strategies Impacted by MPP

Inaccurate and incomplete data on opens, IP addresses, and devices render several email marketing strategies unreliable or ineffective. These include but are not limited to:

1. List hygiene practices, such as removing or re-engaging contacts based on their last open date.
2. Resending emails to non-openers after a few days.
3. Email segmentation strategies, as segments might become skewed or inaccurate.
4. Subject line A/B testing based on open rates.
5. Send time optimization (unless your email provider adjusts its algorithm to exclude opens).
6. Real-time personalization techniques like countdown timers and live content (the content displayed will be from the time the proxy server opened the email, not the user).
7. Dynamic elements, such as displaying Google Play or App Store links based on the user’s device.
8. Trigger emails and nurture flows initiated by opens.
9. Location-based personalization, like including local weather or nearby store information.

Adapting to the New Landscape

With the anticipated growth of Mail Privacy Protection’s impact, consider implementing these strategies:

Moving Beyond Open Rates

• Prioritizing other metrics: Just as click-through rate doesn’t provide a complete picture of ad campaign performance, open rate isn’t the be-all and end-all of email marketing. Shift your focus to metrics like link clicks within emails, purchases, conversions, bounces, and unsubscribes.

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• Rethinking open-based campaigns: Revamp rules for open-based trigger flows and segmentation strategies to center around clicks or purchases. Consider pausing existing campaigns, cloning them, and modifying the clones to preserve historical data.
• Testing body components: Instead of focusing on subject lines, experiment with different elements within the body of your emails. (Explore these newsletter content ideas for inspiration.)

Maintaining List Health

• Prioritizing quality over quantity: With open rates becoming less reliable, the strategy of amassing email addresses and then refining your list based on performance will lose effectiveness. Use compelling calls to action and relevant information to attract qualified email signups from the outset.
• Running re-permission campaigns: Regularly refine your list to include only engaged readers, ensuring your content reaches the right audience.
• Segmenting by device: Utilize historical data to segment Apple users, allowing you to tailor your strategy or email content accordingly.

Embracing a Multi-Channel Approach

• Diversifying beyond email: Don’t rely solely on email marketing. Invest in a mix of strategies to pursue multiple goals across different channels, mitigating the impact of significant changes like iOS 15.
• Leveraging cross-channel insights: Implement cross-channel marketing, integrating your channels for a consistent online presence and using performance on one channel to inform strategies on others. Analyze insights from your social media, website, and advertising analytics to refine your email personas and make informed decisions about content and timing.

Harnessing Zero-Party Data

• Utilizing first-party data: Leverage email engagement (beyond opens), website activity, and purchase history to gather valuable audience insights.
• Prioritizing zero-party data: Litmus recommends creating preference centers, enabling subscribers to provide information directly—such as location, interests, and desired email frequency—that you would typically infer from pixel data.

Focusing on Content Strategy

• Build trust: Delivering valuable content, exceptional customer experiences, clear messaging, and social proof encourages users to share their real email addresses willingly.
• Adding value: While optimizing campaigns based on metrics and behaviors is essential, ultimately, the success hinges on providing value to the reader. Make this your priority. Develop a robust content strategy and consider crafting a content marketing mission statement.
• Crafting compelling copy: Similar to the previous suggestion, high-quality email copywriting and creative newsletters can reduce your reliance on constant testing.

Future-Proofing Your Email Marketing for Enhanced Privacy

At 43 years old, email marketing has stood the test of time. It’s not going away anytime soon. However, just as advertisers adapted to iOS 14’s privacy updates, email marketers must also adjust to the iOS 15 landscape. While Mail Privacy Protection presents a greater challenge than Hide My Email, by implementing the strategies outlined above, you can ensure continued success in 2022 and beyond.