2023 Updates: Apple Mail Privacy Protection
I was having a conversation this week about deliverability concerns due to low open rates and that got me thinking about Apple Mail Privacy Protection, or MPP.
What is Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP)?
In 2021, Apple released a new feature that still ripples through online marketing, especially email marketing. It prevents email marketers from using invisible pixels to gather information about the recipients. This means that marketers can no longer accurately track when and where an email is opened, the device used, or any related online activity. The MPP feature is available for users of Apple’s Mail app across various devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, and Apple Watch.
Why is MPP Significant for Email Marketing?
Popularity of Apple Mail: Apple Mail is one of the most widely used email clients, especially since it's the default application for all Apple devices. In 2021, Apple devices accounted for approximately 52% of all email opens.
Unreliable Open Rates: With the introduction of MPP, open rates have become unreliable. Apple now pre-loads email data, making it appear as if the user has opened the email, even if they haven't. This has led to inflated open rates, which can mislead marketers.
Impact on Email Features: Features that relied on open data, such as resending emails to non-openers or triggering automated email series based on opens, have become less reliable. Additionally, A/B testing for subject lines based on open rates is now less accurate.
Limited Individual User Data: Marketers will no longer have access to individualized data like the exact time an email was opened, the device used, or the location from which it was accessed.
Shift in Personalization: While personalization remains a powerful tool in email marketing, the methods might need to change. For instance, segmenting "most engaged" subscribers based on open rates is no longer recommended. Instead, focusing on click rates can be more effective.
How Can We Adapt?
I’ve long considered open rates to be a directional metric, rather than a key performance indicator (KPI). So if you’re like me, then it’s not much of a surprise that open rates need to be de-prioritized in favor of concrete user interaction. Here are some suggestions:
Redefine Success Metrics: Go beyond open and click rates. Focus on metrics that align with business goals, such as conversion rate, list growth rate, and overall ROI.
Opt for Click and Time-Based Triggers: For automated emails, use clicks or time-based triggers instead of open-based ones.
Enhance Email Content: Ensure your email content (CTAs) are compelling enough to motivate subscribers to click.
Interactive Email Features: Experiment with clickable links & buttons to create polls or surveys in your emails to engage subscribers.
Platforms like Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign allow you to view reporting and metrics with MPP factored in so you can make informed decisions about your particular contacts.
While this might seem frustrating in the long term, we’ll continue to evolve our marketing strategies to take advantage of all the tools at our disposal.
Are you frustrated by low open rates? Let’s chat about it!