How To Calculate Email Open Rate (and Why It Matters)

Do you ever wonder how many people actually open the emails you send? Knowing the number of people who open your emails is essential for understanding the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. To help you calculate this rate accurately and measure its impact, we have created this guide.

First, we will explain why it is important to measure your average email open rate and how to do it. We will provide formulas to differentiate the open rate from the click-to-open rate.

Then, we will discuss techniques for tracking email opens and the factors that influence this rate, including the impact of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection. Finally, we will offer practical tips to increase your open rate and get your subscribers excited to open your emails.

By mastering these calculations and strategies, you will be able to measure the success of your emails and optimize future campaigns for better results. So, let’s dive in and learn how to calculate your email open rate!

What Is An Email Open Rate?

Email open rate is a key metric for email marketers. It represents the percentage of recipients who have opened your email out of the total number of people who received it. This metric is important in measuring the success of your email campaigns.

With a high open rate, you know that your emails are engaging and relevant to your audience. However, a low open rate indicates that you need to improve your strategy.

Monitoring and optimizing your email open rate is essential. It helps you to understand what’s working and what’s not. By doing so, you can enhance the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns and achieve better results.

It is important to keep in mind that the email open rate is only one metric. You should also consider other metrics such as click-through rate, click-to-open-rate, unsubscribe rate, and conversion rate in order to get a better understanding of how successful your email campaigns are.

Why Is Your Email Open Rates Important?

The importance of understanding email open rates cannot be emphasized enough. Open rate is the percentage of recipients who open an email. It provides invaluable insight into how well your email marketing strategy is performing and whether changes need to be made.

Here are the reasons why open rates matter:

• Audience Engagement: It reveals how engaged your audience is with your content.
• Performance Analysis: It helps you analyze the performance of different subject lines and email designs.
• Trend Tracking: It lets you track trends and identify patterns in your email marketing performance.

By monitoring open rates, you can make adjustments to maximize the efficiency of your communication. Whether it’s crafting compelling subject lines or adjusting the frequency of emails sent, understanding the impact of open rates is essential for optimizing your emails and boosting engagement and conversion rates.

Formulas To Help You Calculate Email Open Rate For Your Email Marketing Needs

Measuring the success of your delivered emails is simple with the use of formulas. 

For a simple calculation of your average open rate, follow these steps

1. Divide the total number of unique emails opened by the total number of emails delivered
2. Multiply that number by 100. 

Example: If you sent 1000 emails and 200 were opened, your open rate is (200 / 1000) * 100 = 20%.

This will give you the percentage of emails opened.

The second open rate formula takes into account bounced emails. This is a more reliable approach as it gives you an accurate picture of your email open rate.

To calculate your email open rate using this formula, do the following:

1. Calculate the total number of recipients on your mailing list.
2. Track the number of unique recipients who opened your email.
3. Identify the number of emails that failed to reach the inbox.
4. Insert these figures into the formula: (Total unique opens ÷ (Total recipients – Bounced emails)) x 100.

Example: If you sent to 1000 recipients, 200 opened the email, and 50 bounced, your open rate is (200 / (1000 – 50)) * 100 = 21.05%.

Easily calculate your email Open Rate by entering the number of emails sent and opened:

What Is the Difference Between the Open Rate and the Click-To-Open Rate?

The open rate and the click-to-open rate are two distinct measures of email marketing success. The open rate shows how many recipients opened your email, while the click-to-open rate (CTOR) reveals how many people not only opened it but clicked a link within the email.

To get the click-to-open rate, use the following formula:

(Total unique clicks ÷ Total unique opens) x 100

The click-to-open rate is a better indicator of how engaging your email content was. It helps you understand how effectively your campaign resonated with recipients (while the open rate is more heavily influenced by the subject line).

How To Track Email Open Rate

There are several different ways to track email opens. These methods make it easy to track who is opening your emails and can be an invaluable tool for understanding your audience.

Trackable Links

Trackable links, generated using UTM parameters, are a great way to track user engagement data. They allow you to measure email open rates and gain insights into how your audience interacts with your content.

Using trackable links in your emails can get valuable insights into your audience’s engagement with your content. This information can help you optimize your email campaigns for better results.

Tracking Pixels

Tracking pixels is a reliable and useful way to measure the engagement of your email recipients. They are small pieces of HTML code embedded in emails, which assign a unique tracking number to each pixel.

When the recipient opens the email, the tracking number is logged, and you can easily track the open rate. This method is widely used by marketing platforms and email services, including EmailLabs. However, it’s important to note that Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) can affect the accuracy of open rates tracked this way. MPP preloads images, which can inflate open rates as emails may be marked as opened even if the recipient hasn’t actually read them.

Read Receipts

Read receipts are a great tool to measure the engagement and interest of your email recipients. However, it is important to understand that read receipts may not always be reliable. If the recipient’s email client does not support or enable read receipts, you will not receive confirmation if the email has been opened. Additionally, read receipts usually work best when both sender and recipient use the same email client.

Factors That Contribute to Your Average Open Rate

If you’re looking to boost your email open rate, there are some essential steps you can take. By following these steps, you can create emails that your target audience is sure to open and engage with.

Relevance to Your Target Audience

Provide content that is of interest to your target audience. Customizing your emails to their needs and preferences establishes a stronger connection and increases the likelihood that they will open the emails you send.

Email List Quality

Maintaining a high-quality email list is essential for successful email marketing campaigns. Regular validation and verification of your contacts is necessary to avoid bad or invalid emails that could damage your open rates. Using an email verifier can ensure that your contacts are genuine and engaged. This will enable you to determine your email open rate accurately. 

Take the time to validate and verify your contacts. It might seem like a tedious task, but it’s necessary for improving your open rates. A healthy email list is the key to successful email marketing campaigns.

Email Content

Email campaigns can be successful when subscribers look forward to each message. To engage your audience, use storytelling techniques to create captivating content. Stick to the topic to avoid losing the interest of your subscribers.

To measure success, calculate your email open rate. This number is found by dividing the number of unique opens by the number of emails delivered and then multiplying by 100.

Subject Lines

Subject lines are an important factor in the success of your email campaigns. They should be short, informative, and personalized to grab the attention of your subscribers and leave them curious to learn more.

Personalization helps create a connection with your readers, increasing the chance of them opening your emails. To craft captivating subject lines, consider the emotions that they evoke. Curiosity, urgency, and exclusivity are all good starting points.

Keep in mind that a well-crafted email subject line can make all the difference in getting people to open and engage with your messages.

Sender Name/Address

Your sender name and email address play a crucial role in building trust with your audience. Using a recognizable and reputable sender name helps increase the likelihood of your emails being opened. Avoid using generic or misleading sender information, as this can decrease credibility and lead to lower open rates. 

Additionally, using a no-reply email address can discourage engagement, as recipients may feel unable to respond or ask questions. Instead, consider using a monitored email address to foster better communication with your audience.

Sending Time

Timing is key when it comes to email marketing. Sending emails when your audience is most active can significantly impact your open rates. Analyze past performance data to identify the best times to send emails to your subscribers.

Maximizing Results with the Best Time to Send Email Newsletter

Email Frequency

Maintaining an optimal email frequency helps keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them. Too many emails can lead to unsubscribes, while too few can cause your audience to forget about your brand. Experiment with different sending frequencies and adjust based on engagement metrics.

Also, remember the email warm-up process when you plan to send a large-volume campaign.

Preheader

A compelling preheader provides a preview of your email content and works alongside the subject line to encourage opens. Keep it concise and relevant, ensuring it complements your subject line while enticing the reader to learn more.

Tips to Achieve A Good Email Open Rate

If you want to increase your email open rate, there are several important steps to keep in mind.

Trigger Curiosity

If you want to capture your subscribers’ attention, you’ll need to craft a subject line that piques their curiosity. Here are some tips to help you create catchy subject lines and increase your email open rate:

• Start by using teaser subject lines. Create suspense by hinting at the contents of your email without giving away too much information.
  Example: “You Won’t Believe This…”, “A Secret You Need to Know”, “Get Ready for [Benefit]”
• You can also ask intriguing questions in your subject line. This will make readers want to know the answer and draw them in.
  Example: “Can You Guess What This Is?”, “Do You Make This Common Email Mistake?”, “Ready for a Surprise?”
• Include numbers or statistics in your subject line. These can be eye-catching and make people curious to learn more.
  Example: “5 Secrets to [Benefit]”, “90% of People Don’t Know This”, “Increase Sales by 20%”
• Power words can also help evoke curiosity and emotions. Use words that are powerful and effective.
  Example: “Exclusive”, “Limited Time”, “Discover”, “Unlock”, “Reveal”
• Finally, personalize the subject line to match your subscribers’ interests. This will help to ensure that your emails stand out and get opened.
  Example: “For [Name], [Personalized Offer]”, “Just For You: [Benefit]”, “Your [Interest] Update”

Use First Names

Using first names in emails can have a tremendous impact on open rates. This is because when recipients see their own name in the email subject line or salutation, it immediately catches their attention and makes them feel valued.

Moreover, using first names adds a personal touch to your emails, making them more engaging and relatable. 

Use Your Brand Logo (BIMI)

Using your brand logo in emails can be a great way to boost the credibility of your message. Incorporating a Brand Indicator for Message Identification (BIMI) DNS TXT record allows you to display your logo in the email inbox, which not only catches the recipient’s eye but emphasizes your brand identity as well. Seeing a familiar logo often encourages trust and professionalism in the recipient.

Beware of Spam Filters

When crafting your emails, it’s important to be aware of spam filters. These filters are becoming more sophisticated and can flag your email as spam, even if it doesn’t seem like it should be. To improve your email open rate, it’s essential to take steps to prevent your emails from ending up in the spam folder.

One way to do this is to avoid using words that are commonly associated with spam in the subject line. This includes words like ‘free’, ‘guarantee’, ‘urgent’, and other trigger words. Also, when writing your subject line, stick to lowercase letters.

You should also consider authenticating your email account using SPF and DKIM to make sure that no one else can send emails on your behalf. Additionally, including a clear and prominent unsubscribe option allows recipients to opt out of emails from you, which reduces the chances of them marking your emails as spam.

When sending out emails, you should also ask recipients to add you to their contacts list and only send emails to subscribers who have explicitly opted-in to receive them. Avoid using purchased email lists. Following these guidelines will help to ensure that your emails are more likely to bypass spam filters and increase your email open rate.

Proofread Your Emails

Proofreading your emails is essential to ensure accuracy and professionalism. It also helps maintain a high email open rate. People are quick to judge any mistakes or typos they find.

As such, it is important to double-check your emails for any errors, misinformation, or areas that need improvement. Grammar and spelling checkers like Grammarly can help you catch any overlooked mistakes. Taking proofreading seriously will help you avoid losing subscribers due to simple issues such as punctuation or word choice.

A well-polished email reflects your attention to detail and establishes trust with your audience. Keep your sentences short and simple while still expressing your point. Use a creative, journalistic style to make your emails more engaging and readable.

End Your Email with A Question to Spark Curiosity

Are you looking to captivate your subscribers and keep them on the edge of their seats? One great way to do this is by ending your emails with a question that sparks curiosity. This encourages your subscribers to interact with you and builds anticipation for your next message.

Examples: “What do you think about this?”, “What will you do next?”, “Stay tuned for the answer in our next email.”

You can also choose to answer the question in a later email, which further adds to their interest.

Measure Your Success

To measure the success of your email campaigns, try calculating your open rate. This is done by dividing the number of opened emails by the total number of sent emails and multiplying the result by 100. This metric can help you gauge the performance of your emails and make informed decisions for future improvements.

Easily calculate your email Open Rate by entering the number of emails sent and opened:

Boost Your Email Open Rates with EmailLabs’ Powerful Features 

While crafting compelling email content is crucial, getting your emails delivered to inboxes is equally important. Here’s how EmailLabs empowers you to achieve exceptional open rates:

• Unmatched Email Reputation: EmailLabs’ real-time monitoring and expertise ensure your emails maintain a stellar reputation within the email delivery landscape. This translates to increased trust from ISPs and minimizes the risk of emails landing in spam folders. Whether you’re a startup or an established brand, EmailLabs optimizes infrastructure and sending volumes to maximize your email deliverability. Additionally, you can choose between dedicated and shared IPs to best suit your needs and budget, ensuring consistent email quality.
• Improved Inbox Placement: Leveraging their unique know-how and partnerships, EmailLabs bypasses spam filters and ensures your emails reach their intended recipients. This means your messages have a higher chance of landing in the inboxes (or promotion tabs) of your subscribers, increasing their visibility and engagement.
• Speed Matters: Time is of the essence in today’s fast-paced world. With EmailLabs, you can send emails at blazing-fast speeds, regardless of volume (thousands or millions). This is particularly beneficial for time-sensitive emails like password resets or order confirmations, where prompt delivery is crucial.
• Data-Driven Optimization: Gain valuable insights into your email performance through EmailLabs’ real-time monitoring and comprehensive analytics. Track key metrics like delivery rate, spam complaints, bounce rates, opens, and click-through rates. Analyze this data to identify areas for improvement and optimize your future campaigns for higher open rates.

EmailLabs equips you to craft high-performing email campaigns that land in inboxes, grab attention, and drive results.

Conclusion

Calculating your email open rate is essential to understanding the success of your email campaigns. It is easy to do and provides valuable insights into the engagement of your audience.

Monitoring your email open rate can give you a clear picture of the status of your email campaign. Do your customers like it? How effective is your new subject line? All of these can be answered by monitoring your email rate.

Increasing your open email rate can be a lot, but it’s definitely worth it. By following the tips listed here, you can optimize your emails and reach your subscribers in an effective manner. With these tips, your email open rate will surely improve.