In its latest move to protect user privacy, Apple recently announced that a new update coming in Fall 2021 will allow iOS15, iPadOS15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS8 users to opt-in to have their personal identifiable information (PII) blocked from email senders.
The new privacy measure will provide additional benefits for Safari users by giving users the option to block senders from seeing a user’s IP address and using it to monitor the user’s behavior or location.
As a marketer, expect your open-rate metrics to be thrown off significantly once people start opting into these new features.
Answers to Your Top Questions about the Apple Privacy Update
Here are some answers to the most asked questions about this latest update.
Is this the end of email marketing?
In short, no.
The marketing world is abuzz right now with Apple’s announcement, but rest assured that, although things will change, this doesn’t signal the end of email marketing. Instead, it reminds us there are other things to track than just open rates and IP addresses.
What other metrics should we be tracking?
Start focusing on tracking click-through rates (CTRs) and subsequent call to action (CTA) follow-through on home and landing pages. These steps will become increasingly important, especially once Fall comes and open rates from Apple devices begin to decline. You’ll have a baseline to measure against once your open rate metrics become unreliable.
What else will be impacted?
A lot of marketers use open rates to track more than how many people open a particular email. This metric is often used to trigger automated nurture flows and re-engagement campaigns. Some marketers track open rates to monitor deliverability or for real-time personalization. It will be difficult to A/B test subject lines once open rates are no longer accurate.
What should we do now to prepare for the update?
There’s still some time before the new option rolls out. Take these three steps now to minimize chaos in the fall.
1. See how many people on your email list use Apple
Remember, this update only applies to Apple users. See how many Apple users are on your lists before you start to panic and completely overhaul your email marketing strategy. Then, you can have a better idea of how significantly this new update will impact you.
2. Do more testing now
Use this time to A/B test your subject lines to see which ones encourage more opens. Then, you’ll be able to confidently deliver emails that will be interesting and engaging to your audience.
3. Clean up your list
Get your list into shape using list hygiene methods to ensure you don’t have deliverability problems going into the fall.
HealthLink Dimensions is Here to Help
This new privacy update might cause some challenges, but it’s not going to end email marketing. So take the time now to clean up your email list and implement other metrics that can help you gauge the success of your email campaigns.
If you have any questions, we’re here for you! Let us know how we can help you prepare for this update.