If you’re looking at the “opened” statistic on a campaign you sent, do you know what you’re looking at? This metric typically refers to when a recipient views or, in some cases, previews the email you’ve sent them. Email service providers (ESPs) track this using a tiny, transparent image called a tracking pixel that’s embedded within the email – usually at the bottom.
When the email client or web browser used to view the email requests this image, it’s registered as an “open.”
What’s important to note here is that, increasingly, email clients are “opening” emails that your recipient never actually sees. On the flip side, if your ESP includes the tracking pixel at the bottom of the email, and your message was heavy (maybe too many pictures?), the email client may not load the tracking pixel for the email at all.
Here are a few variables to consider when you’re looking at your email marketing open rates:
It’s an Imperfect Measurement
As stated, not all “opens” will be counted. If a recipient’s email client doesn’t automatically download images, or if they have turned off image loading, the tracking pixel won’t be activated, and the email might not be counted as “opened,” even if the recipient did view it.
The reverse situation can be caused by a number of issues as well. Situations where an email might be counted as “opened” even if the recipient didn’t actually read it include if they are using an email client’s preview pane and scroll past your email after triggering the tracking pixel.
It’s only a glimpse
Opens can give you a general idea of engagement, but they don’t tell you if the user actually read the email, clicked any links, or found the content valuable. That’s why it’s absolutely critical to consider click-through rate (CTR), which tracks the number of recipients who clicked on a link in the email in tandem with Open Rates.
If you’re seeing CTR under 1%, your contacts are just not that engaged with you.
Variation by Platform:
Some modern email platforms or tools might offer more sophisticated ways to measure opens, or might count opens slightly differently, so it’s always good to be familiar with your ESP’s specific methodology.
In conclusion, while open rates can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your email campaigns, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. It’s crucial to consider them in the context of other metrics and the broader goals of your email marketing strategy.
