Open rate is an important marketing metric that measures how successful a company's emails are at capturing their subscribers' attention. It is expressed as a percentage and is calculated by dividing the number of emails that were opened by the total number of emails sent. The open rate is used to measure email engagement, as it provides insight into how well content resonates with a company's target market.
To understand open rate, it's important to understand the basic concepts behind email marketing. Email marketing is based on the simple but powerful principle of sending newsletters or promotional emails to a large group of people in order to reach potential customers. Companies use emails to advertise their products and services, share news and updates, engage customers, and build relationships with prospective leads.
From a technical standpoint, an open rate is the percentage of emails that are opened out of all emails sent. For example, if a company sends out 1000 emails to its contacts and 200 of them are opened, the open rate would be 20%.
Open rates vary from company to company depending on the type of email sent, the subscriber list, and list hygiene (ensuring the subscribers are still active). Generally, it's generally good practice to aim for open rates of more than 20%. Lower open rates than this suggest something is wrong either with the email, the emails contents, or the way in which emails receivers are communicating with their audience.
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How can companies ensure their emails are opened? Adjusting the subject line is one of the easiest and most effective ways. A good subject line is the key to email success and should be personalised and unique, taking into account the target audience and type of email sent. It should also be timely and relevant, focusing on a specific event or offer. Remember, subject lines should not be too long, tricky, irregularly capitalised, or contain too many "salesy" words that can decrease open rates.
Creating a strong and welcoming email experience is also essential in improving open rates. This involves designing attractive emails and delivering them to the right contacts at the right time. Offering something in exchange for subscribing can help companies build a quality email list and ensure people remain engaged in their emails.
Ultimately, open rate can vary greatly depending on different factors, so companies should have realistic expectations when measuring success and aim for open rates of more than 20%. Companies should not be alarmed if open rates are lower than expected; they should use this information to make improvements, such as by focusing on better content, refreshing the subject line, improving list hygiene, and sending passwords on specific days of the month. With a little bit of effort and honest assessment, companies can improve their open rates and email success.