Apple’s iOS Update Turned Digital Marketing Upside Down: How Can Brands Survive?

Apple’s logo

It was on 26th April 2021.

Apple released an update that changed digital marketing as we know it. After months of suspense and hype, everyone expected Apple’s iOS 14.5 update to arrive with a bang.

Quite rightly, it did. The update shook up internet marketing for the better (for iOS users). Sadly, it only came with bad news for digital marketers and eCommerce brands.

Personalization and performance reporting for ads on iOS devices have been significantly affected. The update delivered a significant blow to targeted advertising, which is critical for eCommerce businesses marketing on platforms like Google and Facebook.

Let’s unravel the negative impacts of Apple’s 2021 update on digital marketing and identify how to cope with the changes. After all, you don’t want to burn thousands of dollars on digital advertising that doesn’t deliver tangible results.

Apple’s iOS Update Gave Birth to a Big Problem in the Digital Advertising Industry

The update had one prominent feature: the app tracking transparency (ATT) framework. This feature cripples digital marketing on iOS devices.

It shuts off a data stream that app developers, measurement agencies, and digital advertisers have for years used to link people’s behavior across mobile websites and apps.

Apple’s phones have a device identifier called identifier for advertisers (IDFA). This feature allows iOS apps to track users’ behavior on the web and enables personalized online advertising.

Before the 2021 update, the IDFA could turn on automatically on iOS devices to provide access to users’ online behavior. But now (after the update), the IDFA is switched off by default. Apps on iOS devices must get explicit permission from users to turn on IDFA.

Specifically, every app that wishes to track a user’s activities must ask the following question:

“Allow (app name) to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites?”

As you’ve already guessed, nearly every iOS user will say no to this in-app prompt. This can mean disaster to eCommerce brands that rely on targeted online marketing to reach customers.

The reason?

Apple’s update makes it much harder for brands to link user behavior on websites and apps in the iOS ecosystem.

The Damage of Apple’s iOS Update on eCommerce Advertising

Apple’s update has made ads substantially less relevant in the iOS ecosystem. This is terrible news for U.S eCommerce brands that mainly rely on online advertising.

Why?

Apple has a 60% share of the mobile operating system market in the U.S. That means many people use iPhones. If most iOS users deny apps permission to track their activities, your online ads will perform substantially less well.

Before the update, apps could track many people’s behaviors to enable targeted advertising. However, research shows that the number of people that allow apps to track them has reduced to about 21% after the iOS 14.5 update.

This figure is expected to reduce even further, with many users concerned about their online activities being tracked. Based on the statistics, we can correctly conclude that online ads on iOS devices are increasingly becoming less relevant.

Apple’s update reduces the precision of advertising measurement across mobile websites and apps in the iOS ecosystem. It limits the availability of vital data necessary to ensure ads are relevant to people who see them.

So, what can eCommerce brands and marketers do?

Online Advertising Alternatives that Work: How to Escape the Damaging Effects of Apple’s Update

Have you only been using online advertising in your eCommerce business? It’s time to go beyond digital channels considering the damaging effects of Apple’s update. As a result, you will have a holistic marketing approach that drives desirable results online and offline.

Here are online advertising alternatives that still work in the 21st century:

• Postcard marketing
• Pop-up shops
• Trade show participation

1. Postcard Marketing

Postcard marketing is a form of direct mail advertising. It helps you reach a targeted audience with promotional print pieces like offers, announcements, and coupons.

Postcard marketing might seem like an old-school tactic in the age of social media and email. But what matters most is that it works. You can use it to drive ROI in your eCommerce business.

Statistics say 86% of consumers still read their mail in the 21st century. For this reason, postcard marketing enables you to stand out with a piece of print advertising your customers can hold on to.

If you think people ignore or throw out business postcards, think again. Research reveals that postcard marketing can generate 10% more new customers than email when done correctly. Numbers don’t lie.

That’s why dozens of fast-growing brands are adding postcard marketing to their modern marketing strategies.

People that say “direct mail is dead” should toss out the myth and check out these stats:

• A recent Temple University and The USPS Office of Inspector General study shows that people spend more time with physical ads. They have a stronger emotional connection and can easily remember physical ads.
• A 2018 study revealed that direct mail ads get a higher response rate than any form of digital marketing.
• A report shows that direct mail prospecting had a response rate of 4.9% — a massive leap from 2017 and the highest since 2003.

How Does Postcard Marketing Change the Game for Your Business?

Almost every business is taking its campaign online. The result? Your customers’ feeds and inboxes are swamped with ads that, in most cases, get deleted or ignored. Postcard marketing takes advertising to the next level in the following ways.

• You can leverage your business data to send personalized postcards. You will use what you’ve learned from your audience in digital channels to reach customers through the mail.
• Postcards “stick around” for longer than online ads. For example, a customer can delete a random email within seconds. Postcards are physical and connect your customers to an emotional level that online ads can’t. Research has shown that people spend more time with physical ads than digital promotions.
• You take complete control of your audience. No more jacked-up costs per click, iOS updates that reduce ad relevance, and most importantly, you overcome the spam filters. As a result, you can easily reach your target audience.
• Postcards are easy to design and produce. Depending on your tools, you will quickly access customizable templates to create cards tailored to your eCommerce brand.

How to Get Started With Postcard Marketing

Two things matter the most in postcard marketing:

• Know your audience. This should be easy because you have data from your online channels like email.

Targeting a generic audience while using impersonal ads is a sure way to fail. Personalize your campaigns to build genuine customer relationships that encourage them to take action.

• Have a marketing goal. Do you want to target existing customers or acquire new ones? Are you looking to increase your brand awareness or cross-sell complementary products?

Identify the “why” in your postcard campaigns to create promotional messages that drive tangible results.

You can integrate a postcard tool like PostPilot into your eCommerce store. Connecting PostPilot directly to your online store is easy — a few clicks and you are done. The tool helps to design, print, and mail your postcard campaigns seamlessly.

No more managing lists on spreadsheets or excel. Instead, you easily automate postcard campaigns. Create a PostPilot account to get started.

2. Pop-up Shops

A pop-up shop is a temporary retail space. It’s also called “flash retailing” and is a perfect opportunity for eCommerce brands that grow fast. It allows you to meet customers where they live and showcase your brand to new shoppers that don’t know about your business.

Pop-up shops are an excellent opportunity to boost sales without pouring money into online ads. While they resemble a regular physical store, you can use them to create an engaging physical shopping experience for customers.

A pop-up shop can be great if you want to test a physical business presence but fear the commitment and financial risk of a permanent storefront.

A pop-up shop isn’t a strange idea from planet mars. Popular eCommerce brands like Glossier are increasingly opening pop-up shops. Why? Because the temporary shops are driving revenue and strengthening brand-customer relationships.

You can open a pop-up shop in four easy steps:

• Choose the most suitable event space. Common spaces for pop-up shops include shopping malls, vacant storefronts, pop-ins, gallery spaces, and mobile stores. A mobile shop can be a rented truck or bus to host your traveling pop-up shop.
• Pick the right pop-up location. You want to choose a high-traffic area. Another factor to consider is nearby retailers. Are the retail stores competitive or complementary to your products?
• Identify shop type, interior, and exterior. Ensure your options appeals to your ideal customers.

3. Trade Show Participation

A trade show brings together members of a specific industry to demonstrate, display, and discuss their latest products. Participating in one can help you connect with a larger audience.

Major trade shows typically occur in large cities and convention centers where you can connect to a pool of prospects. On the other hand, local trade shows take place at a hotel or local arenas.

Apart from connecting with prospects, participating in a trade show can help reinforce relationships with distributors and dealers. It can also improve networking with the media and influencers.

As a result, you become better educated about your industry and efficiently meet your ultimate goal — making substantial profit consistently.

Don’t Be at the Mercy of iOS Updates. Diversify Your eCommerce Marketing Channels.

Take control of your audience so you can reach them anytime with personalized messages that drive results. That way, your eCommerce store becomes immune to adverse changes in the digital advertising industry.