Even though email is now 52 years old, it is still one of the most powerful ways to reach your target audience.
A good email can catch the attention of (potential) customers and make your business stand out from the competition.
But for that to happen, emails have to be used in the right way. That is why it is crucial to understand how effective your mailings are. In this blog, we take you through the art of measuring and optimising.
Measuring is knowing
You have your goals, your target audience(s) and your content ready, and you have sent your emails out into the world. But the most important part is still to come: analysing the results.
Why is that so important, and how do you actually do it?
Measuring your effectiveness gives you a look inside the minds of your audience and reveals their behaviour. That lets you tailor your next mailing more closely to your audience, which makes it more effective. Because, let's be honest, nobody wants to send boring emails that vanish into the digital void.
So measuring smarter also means acting smarter.
CTO (open rate): your first impression counts
Let's start with a simple metric: the open rate of your email. It is also called "click-to-open", or CTO for short.
This is the ratio between the number of people who received your email and the number of people who actually clicked it open to read it. So it quickly shows you how "attractive" your email is.
According to the latest reports, the average CTO is around 10% these days. With a good email, you'll be at a CTO of between 20% and 30%.
If your open rate is lower than what is optimal for your business, you probably need to pay more attention to your subject lines, send times and the content of your emails.
Optimising for CTO is without doubt very important, so that your email doesn't end up unopened in the digital bin!
📝 Tips for a better CTO
- Write a catchy, clear subject line that grabs attention and sparks curiosity.
- Personalise your email with the recipient's name or other details.
- Segment your contact lists on demographic or behavioural characteristics, so you can send more relevant emails.
- Test different subject lines, senders and send times to see what works best.
CTR (click rate): do you drive action?
Another important metric is the click rate, or Click Through Rate (CTR). This is the percentage of recipients who don't just read your email but also click the links in it. It tells you how good you are at leading your audience to the destination you want, such as your website, a payment or a purchase.
A high CTR means your email matches your recipients' interests and needs, and that you have a clear and convincing call to action. An average CTR also varies by sector, type of email and audience, but in general you can aim for a CTR of at least 3%.
📝 Tips for a better CTR
- Use a clear, eye-catching call to action that tells the recipient what to do and why.
- Add several links to your email, so the recipient has more options to click through.
- Make your email visually appealing with images, videos or icons that draw attention and support what you are saying.
- Optimise your email for mobile devices, so the recipient can click easily.
A/B testing: experiment and learn
Want to know more about what really works for your audience? Then A/B tests are your best friend. You split your contacts into two groups and send each group a different version of your email.
Experiment with subject lines, the order of articles or even the whole design. That way you find out which approach works best, and you can refine your mailing for maximum impact.
📝 Tips for A/B testing
- Choose one element to test at a time, so you know what makes the difference.
- Split your list into two equal groups and send each group a different version of your email.
- Measure the results on the metric you want to improve, such as the open rate or the CTR.
- Analyse the data and use the winning version as the basis for your next email.
CCM in the Cloud: measure and adjust more smartly
And then there is the magic of Customer Communication Management (CCM) in the Cloud. Because we keep raising the bar too, and we are happy to give you the most advanced insights into your mailings.
With CCM in the Cloud (now: CustomerConnect) you can see how your emails are delivered, how recipients respond (CTR and CTO), and even how to deal with bounced emails.
So you know whether your customer really received your invoice, you can check whether the link to your quote is actually used, and you can send messages to your customer again, even to a different email address, if they weren't opened. And if an email bounces a number of times, you can automatically send a physical letter to ask your customer for the right email address.
Conclusion
Measuring the effectiveness of your emails is essential for successful business communication. Understanding which metrics matter, such as open rate and CTR, and using techniques such as A/B testing and CCM in the Cloud, can help you refine your email marketing strategy and take your business to new heights.
Want to know more about how Harmony can help you improve your email marketing? Get in touch with us today and find out how we can help you reach your goals!
