Preparing Your Email Marketing Strategy for iOS 18: A Comprehensive Guide

This year, Apple has officially rolled out iOS 18, introducing major enhancements to Apple Mail. These updates have significant implications for email marketing tactics. Let’s explore the new functionalities, their influences, and actionable steps you can take now.

Brian McKenna, Vice President of CRM at DMI Partners, shared insights: “There are two major modifications for Apple Mail users. First, artificial intelligence is integrated into the inbox, offering features like automatic reply suggestions, email summaries, and message categorization. The most notable change, however, is the introduction of tabs in Apple Mail.”

It’s important to remember that iOS 18 impacts every user of Apple Mail on iPhones, iPads, or Macs, independent of their email service provider. This means that Gmail, Yahoo, and other email users utilizing Apple Mail will also experience these changes. Since Apple Mail accounts for nearly fifty percent of all email opens, the implications of these updates are extensive.

A Look Back: iOS 15 and Mail Privacy Protection

To understand the potential consequences of iOS 18, let’s reflect on the disruptions caused by iOS 15 in 2021. This update introduced Mail Privacy Protection that pre-loaded email images, including tracking pixels, thereby obscuring open rate metrics.

“The key feature of iOS 15 was mail privacy protection,” explained McKenna during a MarTech Fall Conference presentation. “This was the first significant challenge to tracking email opens. Users who opted into this service appeared to open every email, which inflated open rates and made them less reliable as a performance metric.”

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This indicates that shifts in Apple Mail can lead to substantial, unforeseen impacts on email marketing efforts.

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Transformative Changes: AI and Inbox Tabs

The introduction of iOS 18 will modify email marketing strategies with two AI-oriented features in Apple Mail.

AI will assist users with automatic reply suggestions, email summaries, and smart organization of messages, streamlining email management.

For marketers, a significant change will be the shift from preheader text to AI-generated summaries. Your meticulously crafted preheader text aimed at enticing readers will be replaced by summaries created by Apple’s AI, which may sometimes be inaccurate.

Automatic reply suggestions powered by AI can also present hurdles for marketers, as they might include options for unsubscribing. The easier it is for users to opt out, the more likely they are to take action. It is advisable to have processes ready to handle unsubscribe requests stemming from such automatic replies. Without this, you could face subscriber churn and diminished accuracy in your email lists.

Revamped Inbox Tabs

Another notable addition is the introduction of inbox tabs, akin to those in Gmail. The anticipated tabs in Apple Mail will categorize emails into primary, transactions, updates, and promotions. While this can enhance user experience, it raises concerns regarding reduced visibility and engagement for marketers.

“It’s clear that engagement rates for emails that land in folders other than the primary inbox are likely to drop,” stated McKenna. “We particularly anticipate at least a decline in open and click rates.”

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This is particularly alarming considering the existing challenges with open rate data due to Mail Privacy Protection.

When Gmail first initiated tabs, it led to a dip in click-through rates. However, a surprising trend followed: an uptick in conversion rates. This indicates that users who actively navigate to specific tabs, such as Promotions, might be more inclined to engage and make purchases. We hope to see a similar trend with Apple Mail.

“Clients frequently inquire whether their emails will end up in the promotions tab,” McKenna noted. “The straightforward answer is typically yes, since most emails are promotional. However, this can vary depending on individual emails and subscriber behaviors.”

The categorization into tabs depends on the content of the email and the subscriber’s previous interactions with the sender. Thus, focusing on creating quality content is crucial, as engaged subscribers who open, click on, and share emails are more likely to see those emails in the desired tabs. Always prioritize building strong relationships with your subscribers to improve your chances of landing in the right tabs.

Actionable Steps You Can Take Now

According to McKenna, even without knowing all the specific details about iOS 18, you can still prepare effectively. Here are some suggestions:

• Audience Segmentation: Segment your audience based on engagement levels. Increase email frequency for your most engaged subscribers to maximize their interest. For moderately engaged individuals, implement methods to nurture their interest and elevate them to highly engaged status. Reduce the frequency for those at risk and experiment with different messaging to re-engage them. For subscribers who show no engagement, consider pausing regular sends and try re-engagement strategies, or clean your lists to maintain your sender reputation.
• Template Optimization: Favor live text over images to enhance AI understanding and summary quality. Address any coding issues in your templates to ensure they are clear and well-organized. Develop a variety of templates that effectively convey both promotional and non-promotional messages.
• Revising Copywriting Techniques: Create subject lines that don’t depend on preheader context. Embrace a clear, concise writing style that aligns with AI expectations (this should already be on your radar). Adopt a more educational tone rather than overtly promotional content, and integrate value-driven messaging. Shift your content strategy to include a higher ratio of non-promotional material. Measure your results consistently and adjust your email content and copywriting strategies based on data insights to stay ahead in evolving trends.

There remain numerous uncertainties regarding the forthcoming features. Will all Apple devices support these new enhancements? Probably not, as newer models are optimized for AI functionalities. Can users opt in or out of specific features? This capability could significantly affect your tracking and personalization strategies. Furthermore, the impact of AI-generated email summaries is still unknown. Keep an eye out for these developments!