How iOS 15 will Influence Email Marketing Strategies in 2021 and Beyond
Apple has done a great job when it comes to the privacy protection of its users. The company was the first ever to roll out features such as Find My iPhone, activation lock, six-digit passcodes, Face ID, and touch ID. It is very clear that Apple takes security seriously.
This summer, the company has proved yet again that it is one of the most privacy-sensitive big tech companies out there. Yes, the iOS 15 is coming and the new operating system is set to take user privacy to a whole new level. iOS 15’s arrival is tipped to create a wide gap between iOS and its arch-rivals Windows and Android.
While the new operating system will bring in good news for Apple fans and users, how does this change impact email marketing? It is not very good news for digital entrepreneurs who rely on email marketing strategies to scale their businesses and generate revenue. iOS 15 is expected to put forward a host of roadblocks that could have a negative impact on your email marketing strategies.
In this article, we will put a microscope on the new mail privacy protection feature to understand how it impacts entrepreneurs. Besides, we will also discuss how iOS 15 could be a turning point for email marketing strategies in the future.
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New iOS 15 Features that will Impact Email Marketing
Just like Apple, we are not going to be discrete here! The new iOS 15 features are expected to make big changes in the email marketing space. The most talked-about features include “Hide my Email” and “Mail Privacy Protection”.
For regular iPhone users, these features will act like huge walls protecting your personal information. However, for email marketers, the narrative is not the same.
Hide My Email
Hide My Email will allow iCloud users to use temporary and anonymous email IDs, which are also known as burner addresses. Besides, this feature also allows users to create and delete as many email addresses as they want at that moment. This gives them the flexibility to choose and manage who can contact them.
Mail Privacy Protection
This feature is arguably the one that will hurt email marketers the most for the first few months. It prevents email senders from finding out if the email was opened or not.
Apple said that the Mail Privacy Protection prevents email senders from using invisible pixels to gather data about the recipient. Besides, the feature also blocks user’s IP addresses, which prevents companies and businesses from tracking their internet activity and determining their location.
Why Should Every Email Marketer Keep an Eye on these iOS 15 Features?
Contrary to popular belief, email marketing is still one of the most effective and powerful ways to connect with prospects and current customers. Besides, it is a great way to forge relationships with customers and turn leads into paying customers.
In a nutshell, email marketing enables business and customer growth and there is sufficient data to back this claim. With so much data available which highlights the importance of email marketing, it is a very important marketing tool.
Did you know that iPhones accounted for around 47% of the email client share in May 2021? [1]. We are expecting this number to increase in the upcoming weeks when iOS 15 is implemented.
A substantial number of email marketers turn to MailChimp and HubSpot to track the performance of their email campaigns and also boost engagement via personalized content.
However, the new Apple update will restrict email marketers from gathering data about their customers. This will make the delivery of tailored and relevant emails an uphill task. Besides, the new features will also make it difficult for marketers to track the performance of their email campaigns.
Adapting to the New iOS 15 Changes
In growing anticipation of the new iOS 15 operating system, we have listed down some important tips for marketers to adapt to the new email marketing arena.
1. Maintain a healthy email marketing list
Before you create a full-fledged email marketing strategy, it is important that you have a healthy email marketing list. Identify your inactive subscribers and remove or re-engage with them by creating a different email list.
When you get rid of inactive subscribers, it will improve email deliverability, which makes it easier for you to evaluate your performance.
2. Measure performance of your email marketing campaigns
Do not skip out on conducting A/B tests for your email campaigns before jumping onto the next strategy. When the new Apple operating system will hit the markets, A/B testing will an important component of your email marketing strategy.
Try to understand how the new update will impact your email marketing strategy using the data you have collected. Use the data drawn from these A/B tests to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaigns after the iOS 15 has been implemented.
3. Customer loyalty
Customer loyalty is very important for the short-term as well as long-term success of your business. When your customers trust you, they will support your company with positive reviews and word-of-mouth. In addition, when you build trust, your customers will be more comfortable with changes within your company and back the decisions you make.
As a business owner, you should be as transparent as possible about what you do with your customer’s data. Get in touch with them, ask them about the type of content they want to consume. The next step is to request them to disable their privacy features so that you can collect data to offer a spotless customer experience.
4. Explore other marketing mediums
If you predominantly depend on email marketing to nurture your leads, you may want to explore other marketing channels. This will diversify your marketing strategy and also increase your reach.
The emergence of social media and video marketing has opened up new avenues for marketers in recent years. It is important to choose the right marketing channels in line with your buyer personas.
Final Words – iOS 15 and its Impact on Email Marketing
Although email marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools, the arrival of iOS 15 is likely to change a few things. Email service provides are expected to come up with new services and products for businesses in the future.
In the meantime, prior to the update, run A/B tests, experiment with various marketing channels, and start monitoring the performance of your email marketing campaigns.
SEE ALSO: 4 Key Points to Focus on While Building a Tech Stack of Your Dreams in 2021
Image Source:
Feature Image: rawpixel.com
Image 1 Source: Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Image 2 Source: Image by Tran Mau Tri Tam from Pixabay
Sources:
[1] Huang. K (2021) “Email Client Market Share in May 2021: The Recovery of Mobile and More” Litmus [online] Available from: https://www.litmus.com/blog/email-client-market-share-may-2021/ [accessed September 2021]
