In October 2017, Apple Inc. quietly released iOS 15, the company’s next generation operating system for iPhone and iPad devices. While iOS 15 doesn’t represent a complete rehaul of the platform—the new operating system still largely embraces the look and feel of iOS 14 and earlier versions—it does boast some incredible new features that will surely have a significant impact on marketers’ practices. The most significant of these is undoubtedly MailChimp’s integration with iOS and the API it provides.
The Effect On Email
The good news for marketers is that iOS 15 makes it easier than ever to integrate email marketing with other platforms and channels, particularly with popular CRM solutions like MailChimp. This is because of the new unified inbox available to all users, as well as the introduction of a brand-new email marketing workflow that makes connecting all of your email campaigns a breeze. Let’s take a closer look at these two aspects of iOS 15 and how they’ll affect your email marketing success.
Unified Inbox
One of the most significant new features of iOS 15 is the unified inbox, which serves as the central place for receiving messages and other communications from various service providers and apps. While the inbox has long been a part of iOS, it was previously confined to the main screen, which meant that users had to scroll through their entire mailbox to find the messages that they wanted to process. With the new iOS 15 inbox, you’ll be able to easily scan through all of the emails that you’ve received from various sources (including MailChimp) and process them from one place (see Figure 1).
While the new iOS 15 inbox makes it much easier to process email, it doesn’t come without its quirks. For example, the platform is fairly smart about filtering out spam and promoting relevant content, meaning that you shouldn’t need to build out as much of a blacklist as you did before. However, because the software is still relatively young, it’s quite possible that some of the sent messages won’t match your expectations. In other words, your spam filter won’t be as effective as you think it is.
The Effect On Workflow
Another unique feature of iOS 15 is its email marketing workflow, which is designed to make connecting all of your email campaigns a breeze. Previously, marketers had to jump through several hoops in order to send out new emails once they were configured. Once the email was sent, they’d have to log back into the system and manually add the new email to their list. With iOS 15, all of this is taken care of for you (see Figure 2).
The good thing about the new workflow is that the configuration is handled automatically, which means that you won’t have to worry about forgetting to add a subscriber later on. However, it also means that, like with the unified inbox feature, some of the content from your old email campaign may not match what you expect from a new one. For example, if you’ve ever used email marketing software from HubSpot, you’ll know that their templates are quite a bit different from those of, say, MailChimp. As a result, you may find that you have to adjust your strategy a bit to make the most of the new tool.
Why MailChimp
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re also a fan of MailChimp’s innovative products and services. The email marketing platform boasts a remarkable heritage, having begun as a simple and efficient service for SMBs back in 2005. With each new generation, MailChimp has continued to improve their products and offer more innovative features, all of which have made the platform a bit more difficult to replicate. Most notably, perhaps, is the company’s dedication to security and privacy.
From a security standpoint, MailChimp has always been a leader in providing email marketing platforms that are both highly secure and user-friendly. For example, the company’s free plan comes with two-step verification, which provides enhanced security by requiring users to input a code sent to their phone number before they can make any changes to their account. As for user experience, MailChimp always aims to provide its customers with the best possible experience, which is why their product is so highly customizable. For example, you can integrate Facebook®, Twitter®, and other social media platforms into your web banners and landing pages, as well as create engaging email content using a variety of templates provided by the company.
MailChimp vs SMBs
Now, let’s take a quick look at some of the differences between MailChimp and smaller email marketing platforms, such as Sparkpost. First, and most obviously, MailChimp is a whole lot more expensive. The company’s annual services plan is $20,000 and up, while Sparkpost’s is just $5,000. Second, MailChimp provides a variety of in-house resources, including customer support, that small businesses don’t typically have the budget for. Finally, since SMBs are generally geared toward smaller markets, they often struggle to provide the same high level of service that MailChimp can.
MailChimp vs other platforms
Now, let’s take a quick look at some of the differences between MailChimp and other platforms, such as HubSpot, which we’ve already mentioned. First, and most obviously, MailChimp is a whole lot more expensive. The company’s annual services plan is $20,000 and up, while HubSpot’s is just $5,000. Next, MailChimp provides a variety of in-house resources, including customer support, that small businesses don’t typically have the budget for.
On the flip side, HubSpot is a bit more flexible and offers more templates and premade content, such as web banners, that you can use to get started with your email marketing campaign. In general, though, as long as you have a good grasp of basic marketing and email marketing, you should have no problem replicating most of the content produced by HubSpot.
Final Takeaway
At the end of the day, no one tool can do it all. Your task is to understand your target audience’s needs and wants and to find the best solution to serve them. In order to do this, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors, including the device(s) they use, the OS version, and the browser plug-ins they have installed. Once you have that information, you can use it to choose the right tool for the job.