12 Oct 2023
The impact of iOS 17 on email marketing: how to adapt your eCommerce analyses?
In September 2021, Apple launched iOS 15, bringing with it major changes to the world of email marketing. One of the main objectives of this update was to strengthen the privacy protection of its users, which had a significant impact on email campaign performance metrics, particularly on open rates. This initiative, known as Mail Privacy Policy (MMP), introduced three main features:
1. Hiding the open rate and the pixel
With the MMP (Mail Privacy Policy), Apple began to hide the open rate of emails, making it difficult to accurately determine when an e-mail is opened. This also had the effect of masking pixel tracking, which is commonly used to track recipient behavior.
2. Hiding the IP address
The MMP (Mail Privacy Policy) initiative also masked the user’s IP address, making it impossible to pinpoint where the email came from.
3. Bias in click-through activity
By using a “proxy” email address, Apple introduced a bias in click-through activity. This means that click-through tracking may not be as accurate as before.
The immediate impact of these changes was greatly felt by marketers, as open rate is no longer as reliable a metric as it once was for measuring the engagement or interest of an email campaign. In January 2022, there was an overall 15% increase in open rates, mainly due to this concealment. (1)
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(1) Source : Klaviyo
iOS 17 and link tracking protection (LTP)
Continuing its efforts to protect user privacy, Apple has introduced a new feature with iOS 17 called Link Tracking Protection (LTP). Basically, this feature aims to make it harder to track links in emails from Apple Mail and when using private browsing in Safari.
Now, it’s important to note that, since iOS 17 was launched in September 2023, we don’t yet have all the information on its impact. However, early indications seem positive, with links affected mainly in paid advertising campaigns, such as those on Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
The best way to really understand the impact of this new feature is to run tests before and after the iOS 17 update. This will allow you to see how it might affect your emails and campaigns specifically. (2)
Marketers’ eMail concerns
Many people working in email marketing are wondering what iOS 17 and Link Tracking Protection (LTP) could mean for their campaigns. In other words, they’re wondering whether the numbers that measure email opens are still reliable, and what this might mean for the numbers that measure the number of people who click on links in emails.
Fortunately, so far it seems that the changes haven’t had a major impact on the tools we use to track these numbers, such as UTM settings. However, it’s important to keep an eye on the situation, especially until iOS 17 is officially rolled out everywhere. This will help us to better understand how these changes could potentially influence our campaigns in the future. (3)
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(2) Source : Links affected by beta version
(3) Source : Klaviyo
What actions should be taken to ensure that our data is properly collected?
It’s clear that Apple and other companies are increasingly concerned about protecting user privacy. As eCommerce marketers, we need to anticipate these changes rather than simply react to them.
It’s time to consider “zero party data” as a solution. Zero party data is information gathered directly from customers, without relying on third-party platforms to manage this data. It’s becoming increasingly clear that zero party data represents the future of marketing.
The world of online marketing is constantly evolving, but by staying informed and taking proactive measures, it’s possible to stay on course with email strategies that work with customers. Zero party data will be essential to meeting the challenges ahead and maintaining effective email campaigns.
Find out more about zero party data and the trends to watch in eCommerce.
Discover Klaviyo’s new products and strategies to improve your eCommerce results.
What lies ahead in eMail marketing
It’s becoming increasingly clear that access to personal information will be more and more restricted, largely due to new rules put in place by companies like Apple and regulations like the RGPD (General Data Protection Regulation). As eCommerce specialists, we need to prepare for this reality in advance.
You can also start thinking about some important questions, such as:
- Have you set up ways to collect information directly from your customers, so-called “zero party data”?
- Have you noticed any impact on the types of ideal customers you target since the introduction of MMP (Mail Privacy Policy) and LTP (Link Tracking Protection)?
If you have questions about the impact of iOS 17 on email marketing, the experts on the Novatize team can help.
To find out how to orchestrate your communications for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday
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(4) Source : Salesforce
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