One of the things I love most about email marketing is how quickly you can tell if a campaign is performing. The beauty of email marketing metrics means that it can either be an instant dopamine hit or a ‘what the f%^k went wrong’ moment.

But which metrics should we measure to determine whether our campaign is a hit or a miss? In this beginner’s guide, we’re going to break it all down for you. We will start by explaining what each metric is and how to calculate it, followed by how you can interpret them to optimise future campaigns for the best results.

Emails Sent & Delivered: The total number of emails dispatched from your platform. However, the more important figure is ‘Delivered’.

• Calculation: Total Sent – Total Bounces = Delivered Emails.

Total Bounces (Hard and Soft): A bounce occurs when an email cannot be delivered. A ‘Soft Bounce’ is a temporary issue, like a full inbox. A ‘Hard Bounce’ is a permanent failure, often because the email address doesn’t exist.

• Calculation: (Total Bounces / Total Sent) x 100.

Open Rate: Indicates the number of times your email was opened. It is the primary way to measure the effectiveness of your subject lines.

• Calculation: (Total Opens / Total Delivered) x 100.

Click Rate (CTR) The Click-Through Rate shows the percentage of recipients who clicked a link within your email. This measures how engaging your overall content is.

• Calculation: (Total Clicks / Total Delivered) x 100.

Click to Open Rate (CTOR). This is a ‘quality’ metric. It compares the number of people who clicked to the number of people who actually opened the email, showing how relevant your content was to those who saw it.

• Calculation: (Total Unique Clicks / Total Unique Opens) x 100.

Unsubscribe or Opt-out Rate: This tracks how many people unsubscribed from your list after a specific campaign. While a few are normal, a spike suggests your content isn’t hitting the mark.

• Calculation: (Total Unsubscribes / Total Delivered) x 100.

Conversion Rate: The ‘holy grail’ of metrics. This tracks how many people completed the ultimate goal, such as purchasing a product or booking a call.

• Calculation: (Total Conversions / Total Delivered) x 100.

Now that you understand these definitions, we can combine them into a report to optimise future campaigns. It’s important to note that one campaign alone doesn’t give us enough information; we look for patterns.

If your Open Rate is low, your subject line likely failed to grab attention. Experiment with personalisation or emojis to stand out in a crowded inbox. If your Click Rate is low but your opens are high, your “hook” worked, but the body of your email didn’t deliver on the promise.

Finally, keep a close eye on your CTOR. If this is high, it means your core audience loves what you are sending. Focus on growing that specific segment, and you will see your ROI climb. Master these basics, and you’ll move from guessing to strategy in no time.