6 key email marketing metrics to track.
Are my emails actually making a difference? What is the effectiveness of email marketing? – Probably some questions that float up in your head when you first started in this realm.
Whether you are sending a weekly newsletter, product updates, or special offers, knowing what works and what doesn’t in email marketing can sometimes feel like a guessing game. That’s where key email metrics come into play.
I will share the most important email marketing metrics every online business should monitor in this guide. You will find email marketing metrics definition, lean how to calculate each one, and understand why each email KPI matters for growing your brand. Plus, I will be sharing tips on how to track email metrics to improve workflow.
Let’s dive into these key email marketing metrics!
Important Email Marketing Metrics to Track
Here’s a breakdown of the key email metrics you need to track, along with email metrics definitions to help you understand what each one tells you.
1: Open Rate
Open rate shows you if your subject lines are effective at catching attention. In terms of email marketing benchmarks, a good open rate can indicate that your subject lines are hitting the mark or that your audience is eager to hear from you. If you are having consistently low open rates, it is probably time for you to play around with more engaging subject lines or different send times.
Formula: (Number of emails opened / Number of emails sent) x 100
2: Click-through Rate (CTR)
CTR is a core email KPI and a key indicator of your email’s effectiveness. It tells you if your content is engaging enough for readers to take action. If your CTR is low, it is a sign to rethink your calls-to-action or make your email layout more compelling.
Formula: (Number of clicks / Number of emails delivered) x 100
3: Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is perhaps the most direct measure of the effectiveness of email marketing. It shows if your email content is driving people to sign up, purchase, or take another desired action. High conversion rates signal that your messaging aligns with what your audience wants.
Formula: (Number of people who completed the desired action / Number of total emails delivered) x 100
4: Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is essential for the health of your email list. If your bounce rate is high, it means you may need to clean up your list to ensure your emails reach valid addresses. This improves deliverability and can ultimately boost your key email metrics like open and click-through rates.
When I experience any email bounces, the immediate step I will take is to remove it from the email list.
Formula: (Number of bounced emails / Number of emails sent) x 100
5: Unsubscribe Rate
Unsubscribe rate can be tough to see, but it is an important metric that tells you if your content is missing the mark. If you notice a rise in unsubscribes, review your content and frequency. You want your emails to be valuable, not overwhelming!
Formula: (Number of unsubscribes / Number of emails delivered) x 100
6: List Growth Rate
This metric shows how well your audience is growing over time. If your list growth rate is low, it might be time to work on your lead magnets, sign-up incentives, or promotion tactics to attract more subscribers.
Formula: ((New subscribers – Unsubscribes) / Total subscribers) x 100
Using Email Metrics to Improve Conversions
Now that you understand the key metrics for email marketing, let’s look at how to use these insights to improve conversions and achieve higher conversions:
1: A/B Testing
With metrics like CTR, open rate, and conversion rate, you don’t need to guess what works anymore—let the data tell the story. By A/B testing different subject lines, CTAs, or layouts, you can fine-tune your approach confidently, knowing it is backed by data.
2: Email List Segmentation and Personalisation
Use the data you gather from open and click rates to create personalised content for different audience segments. Personalisation boosts email engagement metrics when you know how to deliver the right message to the right audience.
3: Re-engagement Campaigns
Re-engagement campaigns help you retain subscribers who may have lost interest. Track open and click rates to identify inactive subscribers and develop a re-engagement strategy to win them back.
How to Track Email Metrics
Now that we are on the same page about how important monitoring email metrics is to grow your online business, let’s dive into how you can track these email marketing KPIs.
As someone with a consultancy background, you bet I took my time to compare email marketing platforms. The good news? Most platforms come with built-in tracking, so all you need to do is set up your emails and check the results.
Personally, I chose Kit (formerly known as ConvertKit) after comparing six key features that an email platform should offer. Kit allows me to set up A/B testing for email titles when scheduling broadcasts in advance. This helps me discover what kind of subject lines resonate best with my subscribers.
With Kit, I can also easily segment my subscribers using tags and manual segmentation, enabling me to cater to different groups of people interested in various topics. And let’s not forget the fantastic tools for creating landing pages, email sequences, automation, and even product pages to boost conversions.
Interestingly, the main reason I chose Kit over other email marketing analytics tools wasn’t the price. It was because I can use their address in my emails. For online business owners who work from home, using a personal address in every email can feel uncomfortable—and even risky, especially if we live with family. Having Kit’s address option keeps my personal details private and adds a layer of security for my loved ones.
Don’t take my word for it, create a free account and check it out yourself! 😉
Extra Tips
- Don’t just focus on open rates! While open rates are a great starting point, you will want to keep an eye on overall engagement too. This includes metrics like CTR and conversion rate. It is all about the big picture!
- Avoid ignoring unsubscribes. Unsubscribe rates give valuable feedback. Use it to adjust your frequency, content, or segmentation. Metrics guide you, but a balance with user feedback helps you stay relevant.
This post is all bout the key email marketing metrics.
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