Is tracking open rates a waste of time

The advent of anti-spam technology has seen the reliability of open rate measure reducing in accuracy.

This article looks at if there is any worth in measuring your open rates or is it purely a distraction?

Is is the door through which you can really improve your email marketing results?

Industry research suggests that marketers can influence open rates.

Return Path conducted a study into what were the key factors encouraging people to open an email:

Top 3 factors influencing recipients to open emails

(source: Return path, Jan 05)

Doubleclick reported that there is a positive brand association from an email just landing in a recipients inbox, regardless of whether it is opened or not.

Undoubtedly, conventional logic states that the more people than open emails, the more opportunity to click through and potentially convert so there will be a return on focusing on improving open rates.

However, as image blocking technologies advance the accuracy of measuring open rates is falling. If you look at your open rates over time, they will be gradually falling as your audience uses the image blocking techniques.

Technology blocking measurement

Image and CSS blocking software is reducing the accuracy of traditional email marketing. ESPs such as Adestra have adapted using both CSS, images and tracking behaviour to provide the most accurate reporting you can measure. Some ESPs are more sophisticated than others, meaning industry open rate benchmarking figures are limited in their use.

This means that open rate measure is only valuable in two ways:

Trend analysis

Comparing aggregate open rates of multiple campaigns over time to identify salient performers. You can learn much from campaigns that significantly buck the trend.

Slippiness

When using AB split testing and with a sufficient sample size, clicks as a proportion of opens for a campaign conducted at the same time to random samples from the same list can provide a fantastic insight into the effectiveness of subject lines and send from names and also how ‘slippy’ your design is and how well it pushed readers to commit your key action

Take heart: open rates are not tracked off line

In traditional off-line marketing, marketers struggle to see how many people open their envelopes. Indeed, marketers have concluded that over-printed work better than blank ones by inferring backwards from the improved responses they receive.

Historically, email marketing has been focused on open rates and has worked forward rather than started with conversion rates and working backwards. This has served to distract marketers into attaching false important to open rates rather than focusing on revenue.

Conclusion

The open rates of your individual email campaigns in isolation are limited in use. The only value comes from comparing campaigns sent by the same ESP.

More information about our email marketing broadcast services

Adestra provide welcome tactical advice and input on our client's email marketing program. For more information about how we can work together with you to improve your email marketing, please contact us and ask us about our email marketing services

Adestras Message Focus

Adestra have a proven track record in providing email marketing tools, technology, strategy and support for a number of large corporate players.

From product delivery for large publishers through to tactical direct response promotions for travel providers, all clients always benefit from the shared best practice and knowledge our team have gained working within email marketing since 2000.

For an overview of Adestra's email marketing services, please see our email marketing system, Adestra's Message Focus or for a demonstration, please contact us