Apple users have already started to see Apple Intelligence features on some devices with the iOS 18.1 release earlier this year. Additional features, such as on-device categorization and the introduction of tabs within the Apple Mail app, are expected to be released by December with the iOS 18.2 release. In this post, we’ll review the improvements that matter most for marketers, including:
- Email Inbox Categorization – or Intelligent Categorization; and
- The Promotions tab
- RCS added to SMS messages.
Intelligent Categorization in Email
According to Apple, the two most significant changes impacting email marketers are inbox categorization and inbox summarization.
Intelligent Categorization in the Apple Mail app will help users better organize their inboxes. Under the Primary category, users can focus on the messages that matter most or contain time-sensitive information. Tabs for Transactions, Updates, and Promotions emails will soon be available, where emails will be grouped by sender in a “digest view,” including all relevant emails from businesses, allowing users to quickly scan for what’s “important in the moment.” As a marketer, you may want to aim for the Primary tab to increase visibility, but don’t discount the Promotions tab, which is equally important as users are likely to check this tab when looking for the latest deals.
Notably, the Intelligent Categorization changes to email also include a new summaries feature, where emails are summarized in a separate preview window. While users may appreciate the ability to catch up on emails “at a glance,” automated summaries may dilute carefully crafted preview text and brand messaging. With these bulleted summaries, clearly articulating offers within your copy is more important than ever to ensure the right information is pushed to those previews.
SMS and RCS: Rich Communication Service
The iOS 18.1 update also introduced support for Rich Communication Services (RCS), enhancing how iOS users communicate with non-iOS users while providing marketers with new content possibilities.
What is RCS, anyway?
RCS or Rich Communication Services allows users to take advantage of several features that were previously exclusive only to advanced messaging apps such as WhatsApp. For instance, the RCS Universal Profile includes support for read receipts on messages, and typing indicators and allows users to send high-resolution images, audio, and video clips. For message recipients not using an Apple device (e.g., Android), the Messages app has the added support of RCS for richer media.
With iOS 18, RCS for business messaging offers brands new ways to engage with customers in a personal and conversational format within their Messages app.
Like email summaries, SMS/MMS and RCS messages will also be summarized into one sentence in the Messages inbox. Single-paragraph messages are not likely to be summarized. Even messages with very little text but with paragraph breaks will be summarized, as well as long messages with paragraph breaks being summarized.
So, know that if you add paragraph breaks to an SMS/MMS/RCS message, as with email, one should place the most important thing they need to say close to the top, clearly conveyed. For long messages, start with a well thought-out summary, explaining the main points and the desired outcomes of your message. This will ensure that important points in your message will not be truncated.
What Action Can You Take Now?
- Write and test for compelling subject lines to stand out from other senders. Marigold AI can suggest fresh, eye-catching subject lines.
- Use Personalized Send Time to ensure your message appears at the top of a user’s inbox when they are reading emails.
- Marigold customers using this feature have experienced as high as a 16% lift in clicks over control groups.
- Implement Apple Business Connect in Apple Mail so your trademarked brand logo is clearly visible, recognizable, and builds trust.
- Use responsive design, as emails designed for only desktop viewing may not display well, especially in the new compressed digest view that your customers will first see your emails listed in when they click on a message from a category like “Promotions.”
Wrapping it Up
At first glance, this may have implications for the visibility and engagement with your content, which may appear as promotional content. Is that going to be all of your content? Not necessarily – but time will tell. Your marketing and data analysts should monitor this situation closely, so you can act accordingly, especially when crafting email subject lines. A/B testing these regularly would be a good practice to keep in place while this new feature comes into the flow of email traffic for your customers.
To learn more, please see our Product Management Team’s Update on everything iOS18, by going to this link on ‘Should Email Marketers be Planning for Apple’s iOS18?’
As always, monitoring overall open rates and CPMs will be a good tell; and with time we’ll know just how much these new protocols affect our work as marketers.