How to Effectively Analyze Your Analytics

We’re just going to go ahead and and say it - there’s no magic formula to email marketing success. Despite the time you invest in crafting your campaigns, no fortuneteller in the world can foresee exactly how many people will open them, read your messages and click on your calls-to-action (CTAs). You can, however, make smart predictions based on cold, hard data. Depending on your industry and campaign frequency, your average open rates should be at least 20% and your click rates should be a minimum of 2%. By comparing your email campaign results and analyzing your open and click rates over time you can gain clearer insights into your audience’s behavior - and focus on boosting your numbers. 

Once the results are in and you begin to analyze them, it’s important to understand just what exactly you’re looking for and how you can improve. Let’s go behind the numbers to learn about the specific pieces that make up the puzzle.

Open Rates

  • Sender name: As insignificant as it sounds, brand recognition is crucial in boosting your open rates - for the simple reason that subscribers will feel more comfortable opening your emails if they know who you are. You can keep your business name top of mind by sending campaigns on a regular basis (even once a week can make a difference). 
  • Subject lines: As the sneak peek to your email’s content, your subject lines do more than just tell people what your email is about. They should also tap into their emotional side, and give them a real reason to want to open. Have a look below - which subject line gets you excited enough to learn more?
Tip: Remember to keep your subject lines free of any spammy tricks or phrases. 

  • Send time: Reach out to your audience when they are most likely to open your emails. According to a study by CoSchedule, Tuesdays have the highest open rates. And in terms of time of day,  mornings are best (before people get bogged down in the daily grind of the workday). 

Click Rates

  • Calls-to-action: The immediate goal of your email is to encourage readers to click on your CTAs (hence, ‘click rates’); every part of your campaign should be geared towards driving more clicks. They are the gateways into your website or landing page, so make sure they are visible and link them to buttons or text. Content-wise, they should be action-driven and tease to the ‘what’s next’. 
  • Header: Your header is the first thing that readers read after opening your email, so the messaging should relate to your subject line. Engaging, informative content is a great way to grab attention from the get-go.  
  • Body text:  As the main focal point of your campaign, your body text should be compelling, direct and relevant. Make sure that it’s easy to read, and not too long. If you have a lot to say, consider breaking it down into scannable bullet points. 

  • Images: We love all types of visuals - photos, animated GIFs, videos, you name it. But there can be too much of a good thing, even when it comes to pretty pictures. The more images you use the more likely your email is to get caught in spam filters, so don’t go overboard. 

Test & Test Again

By tracking your subscribers’ opens and clicks, you’ll get a bird’s eye view of how they engage with your campaigns.

However, analysis doesn’t just end the first time you hit your benchmark rates. You always need to test different options to keep up with your audience’s preferences. By systematically playing around with various elements such as content tones, image styles and timing, you can get a better grasp on what consistently works and give yourself the flexibility to try out new alternatives.  
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