How does newsletter analysis work?
No newsletter is perfect from the start. The target persons of the e-mails are people whose motives, interests and behaviors are not 100% fathomable. However, if you continuously evaluate and adjust the campaign with the help of a newsletter marketing agency, you will come a lot closer to this desired value.
Meaningful metrics in email marketing include:
Important: Isolating a single measuring point can give a distorted picture. For a reliable evaluation, it is important to consider the key figures over time.
Newsletter optimization made easy: Refining mailings is child’s play with the right partner at your side. ONELINE knows the factors that make for effective marketing campaigns. As an experienced newsletter marketing agency, it evaluates the success of the campaign to date – and makes noticeable improvements.
Key performance indicators simply explained
Bounce rate, click rate – when analyzing newsletter success, familiar terms from online marketing come up. In addition, there are new key figures such as the opening rate and the unsubscribe rate.
Bouncerate
This key figure indicates how many of the mailings sent could not be delivered. A maximum bounce rate of 2% is acceptable. There are various reasons for non-delivery. Often, typing errors during registration or outdated addresses are the cause.
A high bounce rate lowers the reputation of the sender, so mailings end up in the spam folder more often. One preventive measure is to continuously check that the mail list is up to date.
Opening rate
The open rate answers the question of whether the subject line and/or the newsletter topic appeals to the recipients.
An opening rate of 20 – 25% is considered realistic, with a distinction between unique and total openings. The former does not include double opens. To interpret this metric correctly, a look at the newsletter software’s evaluation criteria is helpful.
Important to know: The open rate is only an approximation. The information relevant to measurement is often in images. Some mail clients block media content, so opening the email does not count.
Click-through rate
Once subscribers open the email, the first step is done. The click-through rate indicates how many of these people additionally use the link in the email.
A high click-through rate indicates a successful design and an interesting newsletter topic. Optimization of weakening campaigns is quickly reflected in an increasing click-through rate.
Unsubscribe rate
In newsletter design, it is mandatory under the Data Protection Act to include an unsubscribe button. This should allow subscribers to remove themselves from the mailing list at any time. The unsubscribe rate expresses how many people have done this in the course of previous campaigns.
A high unsubscribe rate is no reason to panic. The interests, expectations, and circumstances of target customers are variable. Temporary fluctuations in the number of subscribers are normal.
A good starting point for newsletter optimization is to ask subscribers for feedback when they unsubscribe. Did the mailings come too frequently? Were the topics uninteresting? These are all valuable insights that should be incorporated into future campaigns.
Tip: Knowing the meaning of the key figures from newsletter marketing is not enough. It is just as important to interpret them correctly. Not easy at all, because depending on the software, other data points flow into the evaluation. Support is provided by a specialized newsletter marketing agency like ONELINE.
Optimizing mailings in 5 steps
Newsletter Marketing Agency Guide
Evaluating the success of previous newsletters is the first step. The overriding goal is to improve the key figures. The following 5-step plan illustrates how the optimization process works.
We would like to illustrate our tips with the help of the Sola Switzerland AG newsletter which they sent out in cooperation with us.
1. revise subject line
Whether the subscriber opens the email depends heavily on the subject line. It is the first eye-catcher and should arouse interest. At the same time, it must not sound too sensational, otherwise, it could be mistakenly classified as spam. Revising the subject line often shows the greatest optimization success in practice. An improvement can significantly increase the opening rate.
2. Customize text, writing style, and CTA
Too long texts, inappropriate wording, and an unspecific call to action – are common mistakes in the design of mailings. The content should convey the basic marketing message without giving too much away.
With this form of virtual customer contact, a casual writing style is permitted. However, if it contrasts too much with the corporate philosophy, subscribers will find the content inauthentic.
Where does the link in the mail lead to and what action should the target customer take there? For content optimization, it can also be useful to adjust the call-to-action (CTA).
3. Make structure and design more appealing
Many people only skim the newsletter content. A balanced text-to-image ratio increases the likelihood that the recipient will read through the email in its entirety. The well thought-out structure has a more appealing effect on the human eye.
It may be useful to place the most important links and information in the top third from now on. The color design of the electronic sales letter should match the corporate identity.
4. Customize frequency and timing of shipping
Powerful email services can evaluate at what time of day subscribers are most active. This knowledge should be incorporated into the refinement of the newsletter campaign in order to increase the opening rate. If a high unsubscribe rate hinders success, this may be due to the intervals between individual mailings being too short or too long.
5. Run A/B tests
An A/B test is designed to illustrate how customers respond to different marketing messages. A part of the recipient list receives different newsletter versions. By subsequently looking at the KPIs, it is clear which optimization measures achieve the greatest newsletter success.
Often underestimated and yet one of the most important marketing tools
Newsletters offer the opportunity to stay in the field of vision of existing clientele. At the same time, they pave the way to new prospects. Provided they are professionally designed, mailings have a positive impact on marketing objectives. This ranges from increasing sales figures to more website visitors – depending on which aspect is the focus of the campaign.
A newsletter marketing agency like ONELINE helps with the fine-tuning. It evaluates the success of previous campaigns. Ongoing adjustments in terms of content, design and timing ensure that future mailings are even better tailored to subscribers.
