Quick Summary
Measuring email marketing means checking how well your emails are doing. It’s like looking at your report card! You check things like who opened your emails and who clicked your links. This helps you learn what works, fix what doesn’t, and send emails that people actually want to read, helping your business grow.
Hey There! Let’s Talk About Your Emails
Ever send out an email and wonder if anyone even saw it? Or maybe you’re not sure if those emails are actually helping your business? It’s a super common feeling when you’re starting out with email marketing. It can feel like sending messages into a black hole sometimes!
But don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. We’re going to break down exactly how to see if your emails are hitting the mark. Think of it like this: you’re having a friendly chat with people online. Measuring helps you know if they’re listening and what they like to hear.
By the end of this, you’ll know exactly which numbers to look at and what they mean. You’ll feel confident about improving your emails and seeing them bring awesome results!
Why Measuring Your Emails is a Big Deal
Imagine baking a cake. You want to know if it tastes good, right? You’d taste it! Measuring your email marketing is just like tasting your cake. It tells you what’s working and what’s not.
Without measuring, you’re just guessing. You might be sending out emails that nobody opens, or that don’t lead to sales. That’s a lot of wasted effort!
When you measure, you get real feedback. You learn what your audience loves. This helps you send even better emails next time. It’s all about making your emails more helpful and exciting for the people who get them.
The Key Numbers: What to Look For
Let’s dive into the important stuff – the numbers! Don’t let them scare you. They’re just signals telling you how your emails are doing. We’ll go through the most important ones.
1. Open Rate: Did They See It?
This is the first big check. The open rate tells you how many people opened your email out of everyone who received it.
What it means: A high open rate means your subject line and sender name are doing a great job grabbing attention.
How to calculate: (Number of unique opens / Number of delivered emails) 100
For example, if 100 people got your email and 25 opened it, your open rate is 25%.
2. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Did They Click?
Once they open your email, you want them to do something, right? Like visit your website or check out a product. The click-through rate shows how many people clicked on a link inside your email.
What it means: A good CTR means your email content and calls to action (the buttons or links telling people what to do) are interesting and clear.
How to calculate: (Number of unique clicks / Number of delivered emails) 100
If 100 people got your email and 10 clicked a link, your CTR is 10%.
3. Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR): Did They Click After Opening?
This is a bit more specific. It tells you how many people clicked a link after they opened your email. This is super useful!
What it means: A high CTOR means that once people were inside your email, they found something worth clicking on. Your message and offer were compelling.
How to calculate: (Number of unique clicks / Number of unique opens) 100
If 25 people opened your email and 10 clicked a link, your CTOR is 40%. This tells us more about the email’s content itself.
4. Bounce Rate: Emails That Didn’t Make It
Sometimes, emails don’t reach the inbox. This is called a bounce. There are two types:
Hard Bounces: These are permanent. The email address is wrong or doesn’t exist. You should remove these from your list right away!
Soft Bounces: These are temporary. The inbox might be full, or the server is down. The email might get delivered later.
What it means: A high bounce rate, especially hard bounces, means your email list might have old or incorrect addresses. This can hurt your sender reputation.
How to calculate: (Number of bounced emails / Number of emails sent) 100
Keep this number low!
5. Unsubscribe Rate: People Leaving the Party
This is the number of people who chose to unsubscribe from your emails.
What it means: A small unsubscribe rate is normal. But if it’s high, it might mean your emails aren’t what people expected, you’re sending too often, or the content isn’t relevant.
How to calculate: (Number of unsubscribes / Number of delivered emails) 100
It’s a signal to rethink your strategy.
6. Conversion Rate: Did They Do What You Wanted?
This is the ultimate goal! A conversion is when someone takes the action you wanted them to take after clicking your email. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or downloading a guide.
What it means: This shows how well your emails drive real business results.
How to calculate: (Number of conversions / Number of delivered emails) 100
This is where the magic happens for your business!
What’s “Good”? Understanding Benchmarks
Okay, so we have these numbers. But what’s a good number? It’s like asking “how tall is good?” It depends! Benchmarks can vary by industry and what you’re trying to achieve.
But here’s a general idea to get you started. Remember, these are just guides, and your own progress is what matters most!
| Metric | Good Benchmark (General) | What It Means |
| :——————- | :———————– | :——————————————————————————- |
| Open Rate | 15-25% | Your subject lines are working well, and people are interested. |
| Click-Through Rate | 1-5% | Your content and calls to action are engaging. |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 15-25% | People who open your email find the content interesting enough to click. |
| Bounce Rate | Under 2% | Your email list is healthy and active. |
| Unsubscribe Rate | Under 0.5% | Your emails are relevant and valuable to your subscribers. |
| Conversion Rate | Varies Greatly! | This shows your emails are directly contributing to your business goals. |
Industry Matters: If you’re in retail, your numbers might look different than if you’re in B2B software.
Your Goal Matters: Are you sending a newsletter, a promotion, or a welcome email? Each has different expectations.
Your List Matters: A brand new, engaged list will perform differently than an older, less active one.
The best thing you can do is track your own numbers over time. See what happens when you change your subject line or your offer. That’s how you truly learn what’s “good” for your audience.
Tools to Help You Measure Everything
You don’t have to do all this math yourself! Most email marketing services (EMS) will track these numbers for you automatically. They make it super easy to see your results.
Here are a few popular ones:
| Email Marketing Service | Why It’s Great for Beginners | Key Measurement Features |
| :———————- | :————————————————————————————————————————– | :—————————————————————————————————————————— |
| Mailchimp | Very user-friendly interface, lots of free resources, great for small businesses starting out. | Easy-to-read reports, A/B testing, segmentation, campaign performance tracking. |
| MailerLite | Simple and clean design, good for those who want straightforward features without too much complexity. | Campaign reports, subscriber activity, automation tracking, deliverability insights. |
| ConvertKit | Designed for creators and bloggers, excellent for managing subscribers and delivering valuable content consistently. | Subscriber insights, visual automation builder, detailed campaign reports, conversion tracking. |
| HubSpot (Free CRM) | Offers email marketing as part of a larger free CRM, great if you want to connect emails with your overall customer journey. | Email analytics, lead tracking, form submissions, reporting dashboards. (More advanced, but the free CRM is powerful.) |
These tools usually have a dashboard where you can see all your key metrics right after you send an email. It’s like having a personal assistant for your email results!
You can learn more about choosing the right tool for you. For example, Mailchimp has great guides on getting started.
How to Actually Improve Your Results
Knowing the numbers is step one. Step two is using them to make your emails even better! Here’s how to boost your email marketing performance:
1. Write Catchy Subject Lines
Your subject line is the first impression. If it’s boring, people won’t open your email.
Tip: Use emojis (sparingly!), ask a question, create curiosity, or highlight a benefit. Keep it short and sweet!
2. Personalize Your Emails
Use the subscriber’s name! People are more likely to engage when an email feels like it’s just for them.
Tip: Most email services let you easily add a “[First Name]” merge tag.
3. Craft Compelling Content
Make sure your email offers value. Is it informative, entertaining, or does it solve a problem?
Tip: Focus on one main message or call to action per email to avoid confusion.
4. Use Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
Tell people exactly what you want them to do. Use buttons that stand out.
Tip: Instead of “Click Here,” try “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Download Your Free Guide.”
5. Segment Your List
Don’t send the same email to everyone. Group your subscribers based on their interests or past behavior.
Tip: If someone bought a blue shirt, send them emails about other blue items or new arrivals.
6. Test, Test, Test! (A/B Testing)
This is huge! Most email tools let you send two versions of an email to a small part of your list to see which one performs better. Then, the winning version is sent to the rest.
Tip: Test different subject lines, CTAs, or even images to see what resonates most.
7. Clean Your List Regularly
As we saw with bounce rates, a clean list is crucial. Remove inactive subscribers or those who consistently don’t open your emails.
Tip: You can run a re-engagement campaign to try and win them back before removing them.
8. Analyze Your Data
After every campaign, take a few minutes to look at the numbers. What worked well? What didn’t?
Tip: Keep a simple spreadsheet to track your key metrics for each email you send.
Example: A Simple Workflow and Measurement
Let’s imagine you’re launching a new online course. Here’s how you might use email marketing and measure its success:
Email 1: Announcement (Subject: Big News! A New Course is Coming!)
Goal: Generate excitement and get sign-ups for a waitlist.
Metrics to Watch: Open Rate (Is the announcement intriguing?), CTR (Are people clicking to learn more or join the waitlist?)
Email 2: Course Details (Subject: Inside Our New [Course Name] Course!)
Goal: Explain the course benefits and encourage early bird sign-ups.
Metrics to Watch: Open Rate (Is the benefit clear?), CTOR (Are people clicking the “Learn More” or “Enroll Now” buttons?), Conversion Rate (How many people actually signed up for the early bird price?).
Email 3: Last Chance for Early Bird (Subject: Don’t Miss Out! Early Bird Ends Soon!)
Goal: Create urgency and drive final early bird sign-ups.
Metrics to Watch: Open Rate (Does the urgency work?), CTR (Are they clicking to enroll?), Conversion Rate (How many more signed up?).
If you see a low open rate on Email 1, you know your announcement subject line needs work. If the CTOR is low on Email 2, maybe the course benefits aren’t clear enough in the email copy, or the button isn’t prominent. This feedback loop is how you get better!
Frequently Asked Questions
Got more questions? That’s awesome! Here are some common ones beginners ask:
How can I start email marketing with no money?
You can start with free plans from email marketing services like Mailchimp, MailerLite, or HubSpot’s free CRM. They let you build a list and send emails to a certain number of subscribers for free. Just focus on creating great content and building your audience!
How do I write subject lines people click?
Try making them curious, personal, or benefit-driven. Use emojis sometimes to stand out, but don’t overdo it. Ask yourself: “Would I* want to open this email?” Keep it short and clear.
How often should I email my list?
There’s no single answer! Start with what feels manageable, maybe once a week or twice a month. The key is consistency and providing value. If your emails are always helpful, people won’t mind getting them more often. Pay attention to your unsubscribe rate – if it jumps, you might be emailing too much.
How do I know if my email is working?
Look at your key metrics! Are people opening your emails (Open Rate)? Are they clicking the links inside (CTR)? Most importantly, are they taking the action you want them to take, like buying something or signing up for something (Conversion Rate)? These numbers tell you if your emails are achieving their goals.
How do I stop my emails from going to spam?
First, make sure people actually signed up for your emails (don’t buy lists!). Keep your email list clean by removing old or inactive addresses. Use clear, honest language in your emails and avoid spammy words or ALL CAPS. Most email marketing services have built-in tools to help with deliverability.
What’s a good conversion rate?
This varies a LOT! For e-commerce, a 1-3% conversion rate from email might be typical for a sale. For lead generation (like signing up for a free guide), it could be higher. The best way to know is to track your own conversions and aim to improve them over time. Focus on making your emails as relevant and valuable as possible to your audience.
Should I send plain text or HTML emails?
Both have their place! Plain text emails often feel more personal and can have great open rates because they look like a direct message. HTML emails (with images and formatting) look more professional and can showcase products or branding better. Many successful email marketers use a mix! For beginners, starting with simple HTML or even plain text is perfectly fine.
You’ve Got This!
See? Measuring your email marketing performance isn’t about complicated math. It’s about understanding what your audience likes and using that knowledge to send emails that truly connect.
Every number you see is a little clue, a friendly nudge telling you how to get better. It’s your chance to make your emails more helpful, more exciting, and more effective for your business.
So, dive into your email service’s reports. Look at those numbers. And start making small, smart changes. You’ll be amazed at the results you can achieve! Keep learning, keep experimenting, and most importantly, keep connecting with your audience. You’re doing great!