Summary
The consensus from marketers, experts, and email platform documentation is that email tracking, specifically open rates, is becoming less reliable due to privacy changes (e.g., Apple's Mail Privacy Protection) and inherent flaws. While not entirely dead, open rates should be used cautiously and not as the primary metric. A shift towards a holistic view of engagement is recommended, focusing on metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, website traffic, subscriber behavior, and specific goal tracking. Creating valuable content, building stronger relationships with subscribers, and adapting marketing strategies to a privacy-conscious environment are also crucial.
Key findings
- Declining Reliability: Open rates are becoming less reliable due to privacy changes and inherent flaws.
- Shift to Holistic View: A shift towards a holistic view of engagement, incorporating various metrics, is essential.
- Importance of Value: Creating valuable content and building stronger relationships with subscribers is increasingly important.
- Limited but Directional: Open rates can still provide directional insights when compared to historical data, but should be used with caution.
- Opens vs Spam: Opens typically don't happen in the spam folder and indicate inbox placement.
Key considerations
- Adapt Strategy: Marketers need to adapt their strategies to the changing privacy landscape.
- Focus on Engagement: Prioritize engagement metrics beyond open rates to measure campaign success.
- Content is Key: Focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that resonates with subscribers.
- Building Relationships: Foster stronger relationships with subscribers based on trust and value.
- Testing and Optimization: Continue A/B testing subject lines and calls-to-action to optimize performance.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Email tracking is evolving, but not entirely dead. Open rates are becoming less reliable due to privacy changes like Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), leading to inflated or inaccurate data. Marketers should adapt by focusing on other engagement metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, website traffic, and subscriber behavior. Creating valuable content, segmenting audiences, and building stronger relationships with subscribers are also crucial.
Key opinions
- Open Rate Inaccuracy: Privacy changes, particularly Apple's MPP, are making open rates less reliable due to proxied opens and image blocking.
- Metric Shift: Marketers should shift their focus from open rates to more reliable metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, website traffic, and subscriber engagement.
- Content Value: Creating valuable content and personalized experiences is crucial for engagement as tracking becomes more challenging.
- Open Rates Still Directional: While not definitive, open rates can still provide directional insights when compared to historical data, but should be used with caution.
Key considerations
- Adaptation: Marketers need to adapt to the changing landscape by focusing on metrics beyond open rates.
- Holistic Approach: A holistic approach to email marketing, including valuable content, segmentation, and personalization, is essential for success.
- Testing: A/B testing subject lines and calls-to-action can help optimize email performance even without reliable open rates.
- Relationship Building: Building stronger relationships with subscribers is more important than ever, focusing on engagement and value rather than solely relying on tracking data.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that open rates have always been somewhat flawed but are one data signal among many that anyone reliant on email communications and marketing should be looking at.
3 Jan 2025 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that marketers should adapt to privacy changes by focusing on providing value to subscribers. This includes creating personalized experiences, segmenting audiences, and optimizing email design.
11 Apr 2023 - Email on Acid
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Experts indicate that the traditional reliance on open rates is problematic. Open rates are flawed and should be viewed with skepticism. If knowledge of tracking negatively impacts marketing performance, the marketing strategy needs re-evaluation. Additionally, alternative metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and subscriber behavior should be prioritized. Opens generally indicate inbox placement, and they don't occur in the spam folder.
Key opinions
- Flawed Open Rates: Open rates have always been flawed and their reliability is questionable.
- Marketing Strategy: If tracking transparency negatively affects performance, the marketing approach is fundamentally flawed.
- Alternative Metrics: Click-through rates, conversion rates, and subscriber behavior offer more accurate engagement insights.
- Inbox Placement: An open is generally a good indicator of inbox placement.
- No Opens in Spam: Opens do not occur within the spam folder.
Key considerations
- Re-evaluate Marketing: Assess marketing strategies to ensure they provide value and aren't perceived negatively when tracking is known.
- Data Interpretation: Interpret open and click data with caution, recognizing its limitations.
- Shift to New Metrics: Prioritize click-through rates, conversions, and subscriber behavior for more reliable data.
- Inbox vs Spam: Use open rates as a secondary indicator of inbox placement, but not as a primary metric.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks advises to take every open and even every click with appropriate levels of grains of salt because those metrics do not mean what most marketers think they mean.
3 Aug 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that opens don't happen in the spam folder - even when the user actually opens the message.
3 Mar 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email marketing documentation from various platforms (Mailchimp, Twilio SendGrid, Oracle Bronto, and ActiveCampaign) emphasizes the limitations of relying solely on open rates. While open tracking can provide insights, its accuracy is affected by factors like privacy settings and image blocking. A holistic view of engagement, incorporating metrics like click-through rates, conversions, website activity, and specific goal tracking (form submissions, purchases, etc.), is recommended for a more comprehensive understanding of campaign performance.
Key findings
- Limited Accuracy: Changes in email client privacy settings and image blocking affect the accuracy of open rates.
- Holistic View: A holistic view of engagement, including click-through rates, conversions, and website activity, is essential.
- Alternative Tracking: Marketers can use goal tracking (form submissions, purchases, etc.) to measure campaign effectiveness independently of open rates.
- Open Tracking Cautions: Open tracking provides insights but should be interpreted with caution.
Key considerations
- Diversify Metrics: Expand beyond open rates to incorporate a wider range of engagement metrics.
- Understand Limitations: Be aware of the factors that can influence open rate accuracy and adjust analysis accordingly.
- Implement Goal Tracking: Utilize goal tracking to measure specific actions and conversions, providing a more direct measure of campaign success.
- Platform Capabilities: Leverage the capabilities of your email marketing platform to track a variety of engagement metrics and analyze campaign performance.
Technical article
Documentation from Twilio SendGrid highlights that open tracking provides insights into email engagement but should be interpreted with caution. Factors like image blocking and privacy settings can affect accuracy.
19 Jul 2021 - Twilio SendGrid
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that while they provide open tracking, it's important to understand the limitations. Changes in email client privacy settings can affect accuracy, and marketers should consider a holistic view of engagement.
25 Sep 2022 - Mailchimp
Do ISPs re-fetch email tracking images, and what causes delayed email opens?
Does Gmail accurately track email opens?
How accurate is email client market share data when Apple Mail intentionally opens messages?
How do AI assistants and MPP impact email open rates, and what are better metrics to measure outbound campaign effectiveness?
How does Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) affect the tracking of email opens and clicks, and how are machine opens categorized?
How should opens be used as a metric for email marketing?
