The End of Email Tracking Pixel: Beyond Email Open Rates
- CEO at DeckLinks, Speaker, Podcast Host
- Published on September 3, 2024
- Updated on September 8, 2024
Table of Contents
Remember the good old days when we’d sit by our computers, impatiently refreshing our inboxes to see if that all-important prospect had opened our email? Well, it’s time to pour one out for our old friend, the email tracking pixel. It’s not quite dead, but it’s definitely on life support.
But before we start singing “The Way We Were,” let me tell you why this isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it might just be the kick in the pants we all needed to level up our B2B sales game. Let’s see why I think the demise of email tracking is actually a blessing in disguise.
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The Fall of the Mighty Email Tracking Pixel
First things first, let’s talk about what’s actually going down. Well, Google, in its infinite wisdom (and let’s be honest, sometimes questionable decision-making), has decided to wage war on email tracking pixels. Starting in 2024, they’re implementing a new spam policy that’s going to make our lives… interesting.
Gmail (including Google Workspace emails) is now flagging any email containing a tracking pixel. And we’re not just talking about those sketchy “Hot Singles in Your Area” emails. Nope, this affects EVERY email, including the ones you’re sending to your long-term clients and your grandma (though why you’re tracking email opens from Nana is a conversation for another day 😀 )
So what are the consequences? Well, they’re not pretty. Your emails with a tracking pixel will now come with a lovely little warning: “This message might be suspicious or spam.” Nothing says “trust me with your business” quite like being labeled as potential spam, right? And if recipients click that “Report Spam” button (and let’s face it, some will, just because), you’re risking your domain reputation. Now more of your emails are hitting spam folders.
To play it safe, many sales teams are considering shutting off tracking across the board. Are we going back to the Stone Age and pigeon post? Perhaps.
But maybe, just maybe, this isn’t the catastrophe we think it is. Maybe it’s time we admit a hard truth: email opens have always kind of sucked as a metric.
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Why Email Open Rates Were Always a Flawed Metric
Let’s have a heart-to-heart about why email open rates were never really the golden goose we thought they were:
Accuracy? What Accuracy?
So you send an email to Mario from Acme Corp. Your tracking software pings – he opened it! You do a little pony dance, ready to follow up. Nope. Mario might have just been scrolling through her inbox, triggering a “ghost email open” notification in preview mode. Or maybe his assistant opened it and immediately archived it. The point is, email opens don’t always mean what we think they mean.
And let’s not forget about all the email apps that block image tracking pixels by default. Apple Mail Privacy Protection, anyone?
Here’s a wild thought: people communicate through channels other than email. I know, shocking, right? But seriously, between Slack, LinkedIn DMs, and good old-fashioned texting, a lot of our conversations are happening in untracked territories. Email is joining this untracked party, but guess what? I think it’s still going to be the go-to for official, long-format communication. Sales reps are just losing the false sense of security that came with those email open notifications.
Email Opens Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Okay, so Mario opened your email. Great! But… now what? Did he actually read it? Did he forward it to his boss? Is he interested, or did he open it by mistake while trying to delete it? Email opens give sales reps surface-level signals at best, and at worst, they can be downright misleading. It’s like judging a book by its cover, if the cover was just a blank page.
While we’ve been obsessing over email open rates, a whole new world of data-driven selling tech has been evolving. Many sales reps have been playing checkers while the rest of the world moved on to 3D chess. Companies are now using content rooms (more on that in a bit) to track not just if someone looked at something, but what they looked at, for how long, and who they shared it with. Remember the time you switched from a flip phone to a smartphone? Feels kinda the same.
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Beyond Email Tracking
So, if we’re saying goodbye to email tracking, what’s next? How do we avoid going back to the days of sending messages in bottles and hoping for the best? It’s not as bad as you think! The future is bright, and it’s full of actually useful data.
Imagine a world where instead of playing email ping-pong, you could organize all your sales materials in one place. A virtual content room where your prospects can explore, interact, and engage with your content on their own terms. Welcome to the world of content rooms!
Instead of relying on email opens, you can now track which resources your prospects are viewing (hello, insights into their risks and interests!), how long they’re spending on each piece of content (that’s intent data!), and who they’re sharing your content with (uncovering those elusive hidden stakeholders).
You get actionable insights. No more guessing games or false positives from email opens. You’re seeing real engagement, real interest, and real intent.
Research by McKinsey reveals that organizations leveraging customer behavioral insights outperform peers by 85% in sales growth and more than 25% in gross margin.
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The Power of Intent Data
Let me break this down a bit. When you’re using a content room, you’re not just seeing that someone opened an email. You’re seeing that Mario from Acme Corp spent 15 minutes reviewing your pricing structure, then immediately shared it with his colleague. That’s the kind of insight that can change your entire sales strategy.
This intent data tells you what your prospects are actually interested in, help uncover the real decision-makers, and where your prospects are in their buying journey.
This info can then help you tailor your follow-ups, focus on the most engaged prospects, and address concerns before they even come up in conversation.
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Uncovering Hidden Decision Makers
One of the biggest challenges in B2B sales is identifying all the players involved in the decision-making process. Email tracking never really helped with this.
With video-narrated content rooms, you’re not just selling to Mario. You’re also selling to Jessica from IT and Dave from Finance are also in the mix. You can tailor your approach to address the concerns of each decision maker, even if you never directly communicate with them.
Email Follow Up Personalization
With the depth of data you get from content rooms, personalization goes from “Hi {First Name}” to “I noticed you’re interested in our integration capabilities. Here’s a link to some additional info that might be helpful…”
This type of follow up personalization shows your prospects that you’re paying attention. That you understand their needs. And that you’re there to provide value, not just make a sale. It’s the difference between feeling like you’re being sold to and feeling like you’re being helped.
Deloitte reports that personalization can deliver five to eight times the return on investment on marketing expenditure and lift sales by 10% or more.
As you collect more meaningful data through these new channels, you open up the possibility of using predictive analytics in our sales process. Imagine being able to predict which prospects are most likely to close, or what sales enablement content is most likely to move a deal forward.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s happening now.
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From Email Tracker to Content Intelligence
Okay, so the future is bright. But how do we get there? How do we transition from relying on email tracking to the world of sales content intelligence?
First things first, we need to change our mindset. Email tracking isn’t coming back, and that’s a okay. Instead of mourning its loss, get excited about the new possibilities. We’re literally upgrading from a bicycle to a sports car. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but the payoff is huge.
Next, look into platforms that offer content rooms and advanced document tracking capabilities. DeckLinks is a great option, but there are others out there. Do your research, try out a few, and find the one that fits your needs best.
This new approach requires a shift in how we think about prospect engagement. Make sure your sales team understands the new metrics, how to interpret them, and how to act on the insights they provide. It’s not just about learning new software. It’s about developing a new sales philosophy.
With content rooms, the quality and variety of your sales collateral become more important than ever. Develop a range of sales materials that address different stages of the buying journey and different decision makers concerns. Think sales decks, proposals, case studies, ROI calculators – anything that helps your prospect make an informed decision.
The goal here is NOT to spy on your prospects. It’s to understand their needs better so you can provide more value. Use the insights you gain to be helpful, not pushy. It’s the difference between being a trusted advisor and that annoying guy who won’t stop calling.
As you implement these new strategies, keep a close eye on your content engagement and sales metrics. What’s working? What’s not? Be prepared to adapt your approach based on the data you’re seeing. The beauty of these new tools is that they provide much richer data to inform your decisions.
The Human Touch in a Data-Driven World
Now, before we get too caught up in all this talk of data and analytics, let’s remember one crucial thing: at its core, sales is still about human connections. All this fancy tech? It’s just a tool to help us make better, more meaningful connections with our prospects.
The goal isn’t to automate the entire sales process or to turn ourselves into data robots. It’s to use these insights to have more relevant, more helpful, more human conversations. It’s about understanding our prospects better so we can serve them better.
So as you embrace new sales tech, don’t lose sight of the human element. Use the engagement data to inform your approach, but let your personality, your empathy, and your genuine desire to help shine through. That’s what will truly set you apart in this new landscape.
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The End of Tracked Emails is Just the Beginning
The end of email tracking isn’t the apocalypse we feared. It’s an opportunity. An opportunity to evolve, to get smarter, and to provide more value to our prospects than ever before.
Yes, we’re saying goodbye to the comfort of email tracking and open notifications. But we’re saying hello to a world of rich, actionable insights. We’re moving from guessing games to data-driven strategies. From surface-level metrics to deep understanding of our prospects’ needs and behaviors.
The future of B2B sales isn’t about email tracking pixels or email open rates. It’s about creating meaningful engagements, understanding true intent, and building relationships based on real value. It’s about using tech not to spy on our prospects, but to serve them better.
The email tracking pixel has served us well. But it’s time to move on to bigger and better things!
FAQs
What exactly is changing with email tracking?
Google is implementing a new spam policy that will flag emails containing tracking pixels, potentially marking them as suspicious or spam. This affects all emails with tracking, not just marketing emails.
Will I still be able to see if my emails are opened?
While it may still be possible in some cases, email open data will become much less reliable. Many email clients are blocking tracking pixels by default, making open rates increasingly inaccurate.
Are email opens completely useless now?
While not entirely useless, email opens have always been an unreliable metric. They don’t provide context about engagement quality and can be triggered by preview panes or blocked entirely by privacy settings.
How accurate were email open rates to begin with?
Email open rates were never 100% accurate. Factors like image blocking, preview panes, and privacy settings have long affected their reliability. The recent changes are just making these limitations more apparent.
Are there any workarounds to still track email opens?
While some workarounds may exist, they’re likely to be short-lived and could potentially harm your sender reputation. It’s better to focus on alternative engagement metrics and sales technologies, like trackable content rooms.
About the Author
Lidia Vijga is a seasoned professional with 10 years of first-hand experience in B2B sales and B2B marketing. She has a proven track record of driving growth for companies across various industries. Throughout her career, Lidia has led numerous successful sales campaigns and implemented innovative marketing strategies that have significantly increased revenue and reduced customer acquisition cost for her clients. Lidia regularly shares her insights and experiences on LinkedIn, webinars, and public speaking engagements. Lidia believes in the power of personal qualities such as kindness, empathy, and the willingness to understand others. She is committed to empowering client-facing teams with tools that enhance their talent instead of automating it, and she firmly believes that teams that show their human side grow companies much faster.
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