You read that right! You don't need to panic over Apple's “Mail Privacy Protection”
According to many online resources, Apple's “Mail Privacy Protection” is the apocalypse … a 9 on the Richter scale earthquake … the end of email marketing as we know it.
As Trendline Interactive says…
The Mail app in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey will allow users to opt-in what is called “Mail Privacy Protection”. This will break the open rate and all of the data that comes with it. Apple’s guidance for marketers sums the changes up quite succinctly:
“If you’ve been using remote images to measure the impact of your campaigns, there are a few changes to be aware of. Since Mail content may be loaded automatically after delivery, the time of Mail viewing will no longer be correct. And since that content is loaded without revealing people’s IP addresses and without detailed headers, the location and type of device reading the Mail aren’t revealed. And you’ll see your emails as being opened, regardless of if the user read it or not.” – Apple’s privacy pillars in focus – WWDC 2021
So, once a user enables Mail Privacy Protection (and we expect close to 100% adoption), Apple will effectively download all images in every email pretty close to when it hits their servers. This will make the ‘open rate’ and the ‘time of open’ useless, as every message sent to an Apple user will show as opened when they downloaded the images. Additionally, the actual IP, device, & location will not be passed back to the sender.
The article continues – I do encourage you to read it and the others I list below (links at the end of my thoughts).
Essentially, if you call yourself an email marketer…
if you offer consulting services to companies and individuals about email marketing (as I do)…
if you are an email copywriter and write only for open rates…
You're doing it wrong anyway.
Open rates and other data other than clicks is good for list cleaning.
Because, if the focus and measurement is on clicks, then the other data doesn't matter that much. Yes, it matters. It's just not the primary metric to determine whether an email campaign is successful.
What is the goal of the email?
If it is ONLY to get someone to open, then why send it?
Maybe you're a supplier of information for a Club or association or even a business (if for a business we need to chat), and all you care about is that the latest details get in the hands of members. That means they want your emails, so they will be looking for it and opting in – again.
If your goal for the email is to get them to click – that's the metric that will determine the success or failure of a campaign.
Stay out of the Spam folder with relevant and quality email copy, personalization, and asking them to whitelist your email address when you welcome them to your community.
Offer something that makes their life easier, solves the problem they're struggling with.
Make it easy for them to click the link to discover more about your offer.
You're going to be doing all the right things and continue to make money and be relaxed while you watch everyone else panic and do all the wrong things.
Articles I found about this Breaking News topic (also a good exercise for headline/subject line structure ideas)
Apple introduces Mail Privacy Protection in the Mail app … msn.com
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection explained: What it is and … cmgroup.com
What Is Apple's Mail Privacy Protection & How Can It Help … screenrant.com
Is Apple's Mail Privacy Protection A Death Knell For … analyticsindiamag.com
Apple's “Mail Privacy Protection” is an Earthquake for … trendlineinteractive.com
Apple Mail Privacy Protection News: Is Email Marketing … mailjet.com
What Apple's Mail Privacy Protection Updates Mean to Email … blog.zerobounce.net
What does Apple's Mail Privacy Protection mean for … ometria.com
Newsletter publishers concerned Apple's Mail Privacy … appleinsider.com
Is Apple's New Mail Privacy Protection a Bad Idea … digitalinformationworld.com
Fears grow Apple's new Mail Privacy Protection could kill … techradar.com
Apple Mail is … mail – How does Apple Mail Privacy Protection actually … stackoverflow.com
Apple Mail Privacy Protection: Is Email Marketing Dying … business2community.com
Apple Putting a Stop to Email Tracking Pixels With Mail … macrumors.com
What is Apple's Mail Privacy Protection and What Does it … maildesigner365.com
Mail Privacy Protection could hurt small newsletter … 9to5mac.com
Apple's “Mail Privacy Protection” Changes Speed Up the … cheetahdigital.com
WWDC 2021: Apple adds new privacy features to iCloud, Siri … techrepublic.com
Apple's iOS 15 Will Change Email Marketing | Practical … practicalecommerce.com
