Summary
Experts and marketers suggest that Apple Mail's new inbox, powered by Apple Intelligence, will require marketers to adapt their email strategies. While similar to Gmail's promo tab, with some users potentially disabling the tabbed view, the content-focused categorization by Apple's AI necessitates a strong emphasis on valuable, engaging content. It's crucial to monitor email placement, track engagement metrics, and understand how Apple's on-device machine learning categorizes emails. Building and maintaining a strong sender reputation, implementing email authentication protocols, segmenting audiences, A/B testing subject lines, and regularly cleaning email lists are vital for optimizing deliverability. Furthermore, adapting authentication strategies and prioritizing user interaction will likely become increasingly important as Apple's AI evolves.
Key findings
- Content-Driven Categorization: Apple AI categorizes emails primarily based on content, sender, and user interactions, unlike Google's engagement-focused approach.
- Potential Open Rate Impact: Similar to Gmail's promo tab, Apple's new inbox may lead to decreased open rates if users don't actively check the 'Promotions' tab.
- User Tab Preference Variation: Some users disable tabbed inboxes, showing a preference for a unified view, while others find promotional tabs useful for organization.
- On-device Learning: Apple uses on-device machine learning to perform categorization
- Importance of Testing and Monitoring: Regularly monitoring inbox placement and tracking engagement metrics is crucial to understanding the impact of Apple's new inbox and adapting strategies.
Key considerations
- Focus on Content Quality: Prioritize creating highly valuable and engaging content to encourage users to seek out your emails, regardless of their placement.
- Strengthen Sender Reputation: Build and maintain a strong sender reputation through email authentication, avoiding spam triggers, and consistently providing valuable content.
- Implement Segmentation & Targeting: Segment your audience and send more relevant, targeted emails to increase engagement and improve the chances of landing in the primary inbox.
- Adapt Authentication Strategies: Review and update your authentication strategies (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to comply with evolving standards and potential AI scrutiny.
- Prioritize User Interaction: Focus on building relationships with subscribers and encouraging active engagement with your emails, as user interaction will likely be a key factor in email prioritization.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid email addresses, reducing bounce rates and improving sender reputation.
- Monitor and test: Monitor the performance of your emails in Apple mail as well as A/B test different subject lines.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
Experts and marketers anticipate that Apple Mail's new inbox, powered by Apple Intelligence, will impact email engagement and deliverability. Similar to Gmail's tabbed inbox, a 'Promotions' tab might lead to decreased open rates if users don't actively check it. Apple's content-based categorization, unlike Google's engagement tracking, necessitates a focus on creating valuable, engaging content and maintaining a strong sender reputation. Monitoring email placement and engagement metrics, adapting authentication strategies, and segmenting audiences are crucial. A/B testing subject lines and regularly cleaning email lists further contribute to improved deliverability.
Key opinions
- Potential Open Rate Decrease: The introduction of a 'Promotions' tab may lead to lower open rates if users don't regularly check it.
- Content-Based Categorization: Apple's AI categorizes emails based on content, making valuable and engaging content crucial for reaching the primary inbox.
- Engagement Metrics: Monitoring email placement and engagement metrics is essential to understand the impact and adapt strategies.
- Promo Tab Not Spam: Landing in the promo tab still means deliverability is successful, but the goal is primary inbox.
Key considerations
- Content is Key: Focus on crafting highly valuable and engaging content to encourage users to seek out your emails.
- Sender Reputation: Build and maintain a strong sender reputation through email authentication, avoiding spam triggers, and consistent valuable content.
- Segmentation & Targeting: Segment your audience and send more relevant, targeted emails to increase engagement and improve inbox placement.
- Authentication Strategies: Review and update your authentication strategies (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to meet potentially stricter requirements.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive addresses, reducing bounce rates and improving sender reputation.
- A/B testing: A/B test subject lines to optimize open rates and encourage users to look in promotions inbox.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog advises focusing on building and maintaining a strong sender reputation. This involves using email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoiding spam triggers, and consistently sending valuable content.
7 Sep 2021 - Email Deliverability Blog
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares he will be looking out for how much agreement there is between Apple Mail and Gmail when it comes to labeling, especially for Gmail mailbox holders using Apple Mail. He suspects there's almost universal agreement.
17 May 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Experts suggest that Apple Mail's new inbox, with Apple Intelligence, will require email marketers to adapt their strategies. Some users disable tabbed inboxes, indicating a preference for a unified view. Reviewing and updating authentication strategies (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial as Apple's AI may implement stricter checks. User interaction will be paramount, as Apple's AI will likely prioritize emails with high engagement, necessitating a focus on building strong subscriber relationships.
Key opinions
- User Tab Preference: Some users prefer a unified inbox and disable tabbed views.
- Authentication Importance: Robust and up-to-date email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical for deliverability.
- Engagement Prioritization: User interaction will likely be a key factor in Apple's AI's email prioritization.
Key considerations
- Monitor Tab Adoption: Keep an eye on how many users are adopting the tabbed inbox versus disabling it, adjusting strategies accordingly.
- Authentication Audit: Regularly audit and update your email authentication settings to comply with evolving standards and potential AI scrutiny.
- Boost Engagement: Prioritize building relationships with subscribers and encouraging active engagement with your emails to improve visibility.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise recommends reviewing and adapting your authentication strategies (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to ensure they are properly configured and up-to-date. As Apple's AI becomes more sophisticated, stricter authentication checks may be implemented.
3 Feb 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks reminds that on Gmail, many people turned tabs OFF because they don't like them.
22 Feb 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Documentation from Apple, Litmus, Mailchimp, Gmail, and Microsoft highlights the key aspects of navigating email deliverability in light of Apple Mail's new inbox with Apple Intelligence. Apple uses on-device machine learning for email categorization based on content, sender, and user interactions. Monitoring inbox placement using tools like Litmus is essential to understand how these emails are categorized. Building strong sender reputations, implementing email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and segmenting audiences for targeted emails are crucial adaptations. Following Gmail's best practices for bulk sending and monitoring sender reputation via Microsoft's SNDS and JMRP are also recommended.
Key findings
- On-Device Machine Learning: Apple uses on-device machine learning for email categorization.
- Importance of Monitoring: Inbox placement testing tools are crucial for understanding email categorization in Apple Mail.
- Adaptation is Key: Adapting to the evolving email landscape is vital for email marketers.
Key considerations
- Understand Apple's Categorization: Focus on factors that influence Apple's on-device machine learning, such as content, sender, and user interactions.
- Monitor Inbox Placement: Use inbox placement testing tools to track how Apple Mail is categorizing your emails.
- Strengthen Sender Reputation: Build a strong sender reputation and implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Audience Segmentation: Segment your audience for more targeted and relevant email campaigns.
- Follow Best Practices: Adhere to Gmail's and Microsoft's best practices for bulk sending and monitoring sender reputation.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp advises email marketers to adapt to the evolving email landscape by focusing on building strong sender reputations, implementing email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and segmenting their audience to send more targeted and relevant emails.
2 Feb 2022 - Mailchimp
Technical article
Documentation from Litmus highlights the importance of using inbox placement testing tools to monitor where emails are landing in different email clients, including Apple Mail. This provides valuable insights into how Apple's new inbox is categorizing emails.
29 May 2024 - Litmus
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