Keeping track of important email marketing metrics and KPIs is imperative to having a successful email marketing strategy.
There are countless key performance indicators (KPIs) you can monitor, but there are some rates that are more important metrics to keep track of than others.
Why Is It Important to Analyze Email Marketing KPIs?
Measuring email marketing KPIs is vital for any business that’s actively trying to grow and connect with its customers.
Ensuring you’re hitting all of your targets is key, as this will help you grow and strategize how to improve your future email campaigns and marketing efforts.
Email marketers should be paying close attention to these indicators, as you want to make sure you’re fully capturing your audience’s attention and optimizing all avenues to get the best ROI.
What Are The 8 Most Important KPIs for Email Marketing?
The most important KPIs for email marketing campaigns include the following:
- Conversion rates
- Open rates
- Forward rate
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Bounce rate
- Unsubscribe rate
- List growth rate
- Return on investment (ROI)
The list of KPIs for email marketing is practically endless, but there are measurements of email campaign metrics that are more beneficial to keep track of.
These measurements will help you be a better email marketer and your company run a more well-rounded campaign and achieve the ultimate end goal of sales or profit for your business.
1. Conversion Rates
A conversion rate is calculated by finding the percentage of email recipients who clicked one or more links in an email campaign and followed through with the desired action, such as filling out an application or a contact form.
Measuring your conversion rate will greatly help you calculate how your marketing campaigns are being run and how effective your marketing strategies are.
Here’s how to calculate your conversion rate:
- Take the number of users who have successfully completed the goal or action on your website and divide it by the total audience that the ad or campaign was sent to.
- Multiply that number by 100.
For example, say you had a campaign out with a target audience of 10,000 people.
Out of the 10,000 people, 1,500 converted. The calculation would then be to divide 1,500 by 10,000, which would leave you with a 0.15 (15%) conversion rate.
2. Open Rates and How to Calculate Them
An open rate is an email marketing metric based on the number of email recipients who open the emails sent to them.
NOTE: Emails only count towards a company’s Open Rate if this email is opened and all embedded images are visible.
Knowing what your open rates are is an important metric to keep track of, as this tells a story about your engagement with your audience and how well your campaigns are being received.
Ensuring you have eye-catching subject lines in your email campaign is a great start to make sure you get that initial “click” on the emails sent to your recipients’ inboxes.
Your subject line should be informative, or if you’re trying to advertise a product, then it should captivate your audience to want to learn more.
Open rates matter because they ensure a couple of things:
- Deliverability. Open rates show that your recipient is receiving your emails and successfully opening them.
- You’re reaching your target audience. A positive open rate means that your emails are reaching your target audience and that you’re targeting the correct audience for your brand.
Making sure that your email marketing campaigns are being sent to the people who are interested in something you have to offer means that you have a higher chance of getting those conversion rates.
How Do You Improve Email Open Rates?
Making sure you have a high Open Rate for your email campaigns is important.
There are many ways to go about ensuring you have a strong chance of getting that successful click-to-open rate:
a. Create an Organic Email List
When creating your email lists, you want to make sure you’re putting quality over quantity.
Just because you have 1,000 recipients to email, doesn’t always mean more of them will open your email.
Finding recipients who have an interest in what you’re sending out means more than the total number of emails being delivered.
Try finding a way to offer a free trial or a discount in exchange for an email. This way, you know the user is already in need of—or at least interested in—the service or product you’re selling.
TIP: People are more likely to hand over their email when they’re getting something in return.
b. Bypass Spam Filters
One of the most common reasons an email isn’t delivered to a recipient, related to business or not, is because of spam filters.
Spam filters are set in place to weed out any unwanted or unwarranted emails.
Send emails to users who have opted to receive them. This will ensure that only people who are actually consenting to receive your emails are getting them and lets you avoid spam complaints.
TIP: Use branding in your “from” name to help people see who you are, where you’re from, and what you want to show them.
c. Make Sure Your Emails Are Mobile-Friendly
Emails that are interesting but don’t load properly are a huge letdown and are usually just deleted right then and there.
No one wants to look at an email with photos or pages that won’t load.
Statistics show that people tend to check their email via their mobile app 3x more than from their computers (Google).
Wow, Local Marketing shows that users are also 52% less likely to do business with a company that has bad mobile accessibility.
d. Create an A/B Test
Creating an A/B test will help you narrow down the smaller details that you may be contemplating as you’re getting the hang of email campaigns.
This could be choosing to eliminate certain words or phrases from your subject line or lines, or maybe you want to add emojis to make your campaign more playful.
Sending out an A/B test will help you gauge which version your users like best and what you should aim to use moving forward.
e. Keep Your Language Engaging and Interesting
When sending emails to your group of recipients, you should be writing to them like they’re a friend or family.
You want them to feel important and be sucked in by how you address them from the get-go.
Starting emails with words like “Hey you! How’s it going today?” or “I know, this week has been a long one. What kind of plans do you have for your weekend?”
Using phrases like these is more personal and makes them feel like you’re writing directly to them.
By incorporating these few tips, you’ll have a much better chance of maintaining a high open rate and leading that into higher conversion rates.
3. Forward Rate
Forward Rates are when an email recipient forwards or shares the email that was sent out to them. This calculates the forward rate.
This also includes when a recipient shares the desired email content to social media.
Tracking your forward rate is essential when it comes to business newsletters or informational content.
The goal of sending these types of forums out to users is to get them to spread the word.
Having a high forward rate means that more people are viewing your content and finding it engaging enough to want to share it with their friends or family.
4. Bounce Rate
In email marketing, a bounce rate is when an email comes back as undeliverable.
This can happen for a multitude of different reasons, but usually, this is caused by the email address being incomplete or incorrect.
If you have a high bounce rate, the first thing to do is to start analyzing why your emails are bouncing.
There are two different kinds of “bounce” categories:
- Soft bounces
- Hard bounces
Both result in emails not being delivered to the recipient’s inbox, however, one is more workable than the other.
What Are Soft Bounces?
A soft bounce is usually indicative of a temporary roadblock preventing the recipient from receiving the email.
This could be an email service provider being down or the email message being too large.
In most cases, the ESP (Email Service Provider) will continue to attempt to deliver the email for a few days.
If the emails continue to bounce and are never delivered, then they’re classified as a hard bounce.
What Are Hard Bounces?
A hard bounce means there’s a reason that’s not a fluke, or temporary, that’s preventing your email campaigns from being well-delivered emails.
Once you determine the hard bounce email addresses, they should be removed from your email list and placed in what’s called “The cleaned category” of your email subscriber list.
This separates invalid email addresses from them from your active subscriber list that has had emails successfully delivered to them.
Typically, a hard bounce is determined to be:
- A Domain name that no longer exists.
- An email address that doesn’t exist.
- A blocked email server.
Hard bounces should be avoided whenever possible, so make sure to identify which recipients are triggering this to occur.
Getting them moved to another list is imperative to the success of your email marketing campaigns.
How Do You Prevent High Bounce Rates?
The undeniable truth is that no matter what you do, there will always be a bounce rate metric to be tracked when looking at your business KPIs.
The goal is to figure out what your bounce rate is so you can help improve upon it.
a. Look at the History of The Recipient’s Email Address and Deliverability
Has this recipient not been receiving spam reports from your emails from the start?
Maybe something went wrong when they were signing up for your emails and they input their address incorrectly.
Whatever the case may be, you want to make sure that the form you use to collect emails is clean, clear, and transparent about what they’re signing up for.
b. Keep Your Email List Updated
Regularly updating your email list will help you determine which emails are getting these hard bounces and which have a soft bounce once in a while.
The main goal is updating your list of inactive email addresses and removing inactive recipients, ensuring the ones who actually open your emails are the only ones receiving them.
This may cut down your email subscriber list, but remember when we talked about quality over quantity? This is where that comes in.
You want quality subscribers who benefit the growth of your business.
c. Enable Double Opt-Ins
Double opt-ins are where a subscriber has to confirm their email address in order to receive the email marketing campaigns.
This sounds like a lot of work for the subscriber, however, this ensures that only those who want to be added to your subscriber list will be.
Again, going back to quality vs. quantity.
This will result in fewer email recipients in your email list, but also in a much lower bounce rate. This will also likely improve your click-through rate, forward rate, and so forth.
d. Avoid Spam Emails
Avoiding the spammy “get rich quick” terms is going to save you the hassle of having to remove subscribers who are increasing your bounce rate.
Most of the time, spam filters are going to sort all of these types of emails right out of their inbox and they will never see the light of day.
e. Be Consistent
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder” is a term that should not be used in email marketing.
Email services will try to filter out emails that come from unfamiliar senders, so being consistent and on a regular cadence of sending these emails is extremely important to keep your emails out of the spam folder.
Not only will these emails occasionally get filtered out to spam, but the recipient will also forget who these emails are coming from and may lose interest altogether.
There are no rules as to what you have to do in order to have a low bounce rate, but these tips will certainly benefit you and your business when it comes to keeping your bounce rate as low as possible.
5. Email Click-Through Rates and How to Calculate Them
A click-through rate calculates the percentage of email recipients who click on links that are within an email marketing campaign.
Unlike some other KPI metrics, this is a rate you want to be as high as possible (in most cases).
This will show that users and subscribers are clicking on your email links more, taking them to your websites, and they’re performing actions to help boost engagement.
How Do You Improve Your Email Click-Through Rate?
Email CTRs (click-through rates) tell a story about how your subscribers are receiving and interacting with your email marketing campaigns.
Click-through rates are a big deal, especially for email marketers who are involved with nonprofit campaigns, as it helps see how your audience is receiving the email marketing campaigns being sent out.
Having engaging and interactive layouts and visuals, as well as subject lines that really grab their attention, is key to success when looking at click-through rates.
The trick here is that you have to play around with different formulations of what to include—and what not to include—and see what works best for your audience.
Click-through rates and open rates are very similar in how they work and what drives them to be higher and increase successful campaigns.
The following tips will help improve your click-through rates and will also assist in driving your open rates:
a. Ensure That Emails Are Mobile Device Friendly
People live on their phones nowadays, so ensuring your emails are accessible on all mobile devices will help promote more engagement and continue to drive your users to click on links within your emails.
Keeping these emails as clear and uncluttered as possible is important, as well as making sure you can view the email in its entirety while in mobile mode.
b. Have a Clear Call to Action (CTA)
Sometimes users get lost in the language included in marketing emails too. If you’re after one main goal when sending out these email campaigns, make sure it’s clear.
Are you looking for a sign-up for an event or newsletter? Make it visible and brief as to what it’s for and where to sign up.
Looking for support in any other way? Make sure your link is visible so that the users can’t miss it and don’t get lost in the rest of the email, and you can track your call to action metrics.
c. Use Buttons
Why not make it simple and include a button to lead users where they need to go?
This eliminates having to copy and paste links from multiple campaigns. You want it to be as easy as possible for the end goal to be reached.
Including buttons is so versatile, too.
You can have a button lead your users to a FAQ page or even an “about me” page.
Use it for whatever you’re looking to have as your main point for the email campaign you’re sending out.
d. Mix It Up
Don’t be afraid to try new things.
It’s important to be consistent with your cadence and the total number of emails you send, but you don’t always have to use the same material.
Experimenting with your content, layout, subject lines, etc. will help you narrow down what works, and it will also keep your reliable subscribers on the edge of their seats.
Complacency is something you want to avoid when it comes to your content.
Changing certain aspects of your content in emails will help keep things interesting, while not veering away from the main points of your email subscriptions.
Change can be scary, but in this case, it’s a good thing to give it a try!
6. Unsubscribe Rates and How to Calculate Them
This is the top rate is the percentage of recipients who unsubscribe from the emails delivered from the email clients of your company.
In order for this to count as your unsubscribe rate, they have to open the email and then click unsubscribe.
Keeping track of your unsubscribe rates will help you avoid having a high bounce rate, as the users who no longer wish to be included in your subscriber list will have the ability to unsubscribe—and that metric will no longer be included in your bounce rate.
What is a Good Unsubscribe Rate?
Based on research done by Mailchimp, Benchmark, and GetResponse, it has been determined that an email unsubscribe rate between 1-2% is classified as a good unsubscribe rate.
Having an unsubscribe button visible to subscribers so they can remove themselves from a list can be a good thing, but your focus should be sending content that’s interesting enough to make them want to continue receiving your emails and comply with any actions you’re sending out.
Why Do Subscribers Unsubscribe?
There are a few reasons why new subscribers will unsubscribe, and trying to avoid these is going to keep your unsubscribe rate at a manageable level.
a. Too Many Emails Are Being Sent
Consistency is good, and a regular cadence is good, but there’s such a thing as too many emails.
Subscribers don’t want to feel like they’re being bombarded with emails, and the chances of your emails having completely new and different information at this send rate is highly unlikely.
Find a good cadence to send these email campaigns (this is where your trial and error comes into play).
Once you find that sweet spot, you’ll have subscribers who will look forward to the days your emails arrive in their inbox.
b. The Emails Are Irrelevant
Going back to our opt-in email service providers, this will help maintain a subscriber list that’s consenting and willing to receive your emails.
People don’t want to read emails that don’t apply to them or that they don’t find at least a little interesting.
Creating a foolproof way to make sure your list consists of only consenting subscribers will help you ensure your content is relevant to what they’re looking for.
c. You’re Unrecognizable
Receiving an email from someone you don’t know doesn’t exactly make you want to open it.
If you’re not being recognized by your subscribers, that’s a huge problem and will likely lead to a higher unsubscribe rate.
Staying recognizable and transparent about who you are, where you’re emailing from, and what kind of content you’re sending out will help avoid confusion and keep those loyal subscribers!
Having your subscribers leave your lists can be tough to get past—after all, you’re spending so much time and effort on these email marketing campaigns, and you want to share with the people who want to support you.
The good news is that the ones who leave don’t come close to all of the loyal subscribers who stay, so don’t lose hope.
Focus on keeping your loyal subscribers happy, and you’ll see great success!
7. List Growth Rate
Let’s dive into an essential metric that plays a significant role in your email marketing success: the List Growth Rate.
This metric is the powerhouse of your email campaigns because the more it grows, the more potential your emails have to drive impact.
How Do You Calculate the List Growth Rate?
To calculate the List Growth Rate, use the following formula:
List Growth Rate (%) = [Number of New Subscribers – Number of Unsubscribes / Total Number of Subscribers] x 100
A positive List Growth Rate indicates that you’re successfully adding new subscribers to your list.
To bolster your List Growth Rate, consider implementing strategies such as creating irresistible opt-in forms, offering valuable incentives for subscription, and promoting your email sign-up across various marketing channels.
8. Return On Investment (ROI)
Now, let’s talk about the bottom line—Return On Investment (ROI). Your email marketing efforts should not only engage your audience but also make financial sense for your business.
To learn more about email marketing and how to master it, check out the video below:
How Do You Calculate ROI?
Use the following formula to calculate your return on investment:
ROI (%) = [Revenue from Email Marketing – Cost of Email Marketing / Cost of Email Marketing] x 100
A positive ROI signifies that your email marketing campaign drives engagement and generates more revenue than it costs.
To enhance your email marketing ROI, focus on strategies that boost email marketing metrics such as engagement, conversion rates, and customer retention.
Segment your email list, personalize content, optimize your email design, and continuously analyze and refine your email marketing performance.
How Dia Creative Can Improve Your Email Marketing Metrics
At Dia Creative, we’re your dedicated partners in elevating your email marketing metrics to new heights. We’re not just here to provide services; we’re here to collaborate with you and empower your brand.
Here are just a few ways Dia Creative can improve your email marketing metrics:
1. Strategic Planning
Our team can help you craft data-driven email marketing strategies aligned with your unique business objectives.
2. Creative Content
We will design visually appealing emails with compelling content, clear CTAs, and engaging visuals to boost open rates.
3. Segmentation and Personalization
Our team will tailor your messages to individual subscribers, increasing conversion rates and delivering a more personalized experience.
4. Continuous Optimization
We will regularly analyze campaign performance and make data-driven adjustments to enhance essential email marketing KPIs such as open rates, click-through rates, and ROI for current and future campaigns.
5. Compliance and Deliverability
The Dia Creative team will ensure that your email campaigns adhere to industry regulations, optimizing deliverability rates, and reducing bounce rates.
6. A/B Testing
We will conduct thorough A/B tests to identify the most effective elements—from subject lines to content and design—to maximize engagement and conversions.
7. List Growth Strategies
Our team will implement organic growth strategies to attract quality leads and maintain your existing leads.
8. ROI Tracking
We will track and measure the ROI of your email marketing efforts and provide insights into the financial impact of your email marketing strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Main Email Marketing KPIs?
The main email marketing KPIs include the conversion rate, open rate, click-through rate (CTR), bounce rate, unsubscribe rate, forward rate, list growth rate, and return on investment (ROI). These metrics can help you analyze the performance of your email marketing campaigns.
What Are 3 Ways of Measuring Success in Email Marketing?
You can measure the success of your email marketing campaign through the conversion rate (how effectively your emails drive actions), return on investment (the financial impact of your campaigns), and the list growth rate (how much your list is growing).
Conclusion
By tracking and optimizing KPIs like conversion rates, ROI, and list growth rates, you’re not only measuring success but actively shaping it.
Dia Creative is committed to helping you achieve your email marketing goals, improving your key performance indicators, and driving meaningful results for your business.
If you’re looking to get the most out of your email marketing campaigns, Dia Creative can help!
