Hi Reader,

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Apple's at it again with their efforts to protect our privacy.

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This time it impacts EMAIL! Specifically all the metrics traditionally used to track the success / effectiveness of email marketing (open rate, click rate, etc).

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BTW: If you need to catch up on iOS14.5 and its impact on paid media, you can read my email series about it...

• ​Should you opt-in to ad tracking?​
• ​Why is everyone talking about iOS14 and paid ads?​
• ​Paid Ads vs Organic - which is better?​

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Here's what happened: this week during the Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple announced they'll be enabling a new feature with iOS15 called Mail Privacy Protection.

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This directly impacts Apple's Mail app - which is the default mail app installed on any Apple device where you can sync your email accounts and manage your email.

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Here's what Apple said:

In other words: not only is Apple coming for our ad tracking pixels but it's also coming for the email ones, too.

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On a practical level, when this change rolls out, it means metrics like open rate, click rate, engagement rate with email and website activity from email (like the tracking pixel ActiveCampaign uses to understand website activities from email subscribers) will no longer be as readily understood from Mail users.

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This is kind of a huge deal, because the most recent information (May 2021 to be exact) tells us that "93.5% of all email opens on phones come from Apple Mail on iPhones or iPads. On desktop, Apple Mail on Mac is responsible for 58.4% of all email opens." (SOURCE).

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So... if the Mail app is going to start blocking email tracking technology in the fall... and if the vast majority of emails are being opened on Apple devices... what does this mean for email?

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Great question. Let's talk about it.

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First things first: please don't ignore the fact that Apple is on a mission - much like Amazon - to reshape the digital landscape and bring a greater level of influence and control into their own hands.

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Call me cynical, but these changes will force advertisers and marketers into using Apple services in order to reach Apple users as they become less accessible through pixel / cookie technology. For example, maybe it means developing an app and bidding on keywords within the app store. Or using paid Apple podcasts. You get the idea.

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So I'm not exactly over here cheering Apple on as the White Knight in this privacy conversation because nothing will convince me that this isn't mainly motivated by Apple becoming the next Amazon.

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That's really neither here nor there, though, because we still have to deal with the changes.

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Second things second: email is never going to die. What will die is the way in which we measure its effectiveness.

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If open and click rates are about to become less reliable, this means it's even more important to be able to tie in your email marketing efforts to other sections of your sales and marketing funnel.

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In other words, ensuring you're doing these things:

• Connecting your "conversion" software (aka, your scheduling tool, your payment processor, etc...whatever you define as a 'conversion' in your business) to your email software so that information is tied to your subscribers. This means those systems must integrate either natively (it's built-in), or through something like Zapier (aka, the glue of the internet).

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• Making the most of your website analytics software to track traffic, clicks, etc through UTM parameters. When you share a link in email, ensure it has UTM parameters. If your click rate is going to be inaccurate, you can fill in the data hole through UTM tracking.

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• Shifting how you define "success" on email by combining various metrics to create a bigger picture. One thing that immediately comes to mind is... You'll want to start paying attention to subscribe and unsubscribe trends and how those relate to your activities online. For example, maybe you notice when you go Live regularly on Instagram, you get an influx of email subscribers (who are joining through the subscribe link you promote during the Live). That's a great way to measure the health of your list versus solely relying on open rates. Another example is measuring the connection between emails you send + sales in your business. You can get a rough idea on open rates through this, too.

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Here's one thing I know for sure: as these changes occur more and more frequently, having a marketing and sales funnel that spreads across multiple channels (social, email, etc) is very important. On top of that, it's more important now than ever to ensure everything you're doing online is interconnected and measurable.

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Gone are the days when you toss up a post on IG, cross your fingers and hope for a sale.

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These changes are pushing everyone who operates some aspect of their business online to get serious about strategy, analytics and measurement.

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It also means business owners and marketers are being pushed to develop an ACTUAL understanding of their target audience vs solely relying on numbers and data.

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It's kind of like a swing back to "olden days" advertising, right?

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So, what can you do about this as a small business owner?

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Here's one action you can take TODAY:

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To prepare for these changes, now's a great time to revisit your softwares.

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Do they all integrate? Does your payment processor send info to your email system. Does your scheduler add someone as a subscriber once they schedule an appointment? These are just a couple examples.

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The point is, every software you're using should integrate together so you can create a clear picture of the path someone takes as they interact with your business.

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If you don't have that information, you're making choices blindly.

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Another action you can take right away is to stop basing all your strategic marketing choices on pixel data.

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This means returning back to good old fashioned methods like:

• Surveys
• Connection calls to get feedback
• Requests for testimonials

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In other words... actually building relationships with your followers, customers, etc instead of viewing interactions as purely transactional.

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The landscape for online marketing is changing, Reader.

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It's getting more challenging, for sure. But. It's not becoming impossible! It just means you've gotta get more strategic, thoughtful and purposeful.

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What do you think about Apple's big announcement and its impact on email? Let me know by replying to this email.

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Have a lovely weekend,

Amanda

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