Summary
Experts, marketers, and email platform documentation generally agree that opens can be a valuable metric when building engagement cohorts for re-warming sender reputation, but they shouldn't be the sole focus. The consensus is to use opens in conjunction with clicks and other engagement data to gain a comprehensive view of subscriber activity. Opens provide a signal of potential interest and help identify contacts who may be receptive to re-engagement efforts. Segmentation based on both opens and clicks allows for targeted campaigns that improve engagement metrics and sender reputation. It's also important to identify and segment unengaged users for separate targeting.
Key findings
- Opens as a Signal: Opens serve as an indicator of potential interest and engagement.
- Combine with Clicks: Using opens in conjunction with clicks provides a more comprehensive view of subscriber engagement.
- Segmenting Improves Reputation: Segmenting lists based on both opens and clicks enhances engagement metrics and sender reputation.
- Targeted Re-engagement: Personalized campaigns and offers can effectively re-engage inactive subscribers.
- Leading Indicator: Opens are considered a leading indicator of deliverability
Key considerations
- Data Accuracy: Account for potential inaccuracies in open rates due to image blocking and other factors. Quality opens as opens who have clicked recently
- Use Other Metrics: Consider additional engagement metrics like website visits, form submissions, and purchases.
- Content Adaptation: Experiment with different content or calls to action if subscribers are opening but not clicking.
- Unengaged Users: Identify and target unengaged users separately to optimize re-warming efforts.
- Active Users: If the contact is truly an active user you can just use recent clickers, instead of opens
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
The general consensus is that opens can be a valuable metric when building engagement cohorts for re-warming sender reputation, but they should not be the only metric considered. Many email marketers recommend using opens in conjunction with clicks and other engagement data to get a comprehensive view of subscriber activity. While opens may be overstated and can include inaccuracies, they still provide a signal of interest and can help identify contacts who may be receptive to re-engagement efforts. Segmentation based on both opens and clicks allows for targeted campaigns that improve engagement metrics and sender reputation.
Key opinions
- Opens as a Signal: Opens, even if overstated, are a signal of potential interest and can help identify subscribers who may be receptive to re-engagement.
- Use with Clicks: It's generally advised to use opens in conjunction with clicks for a more comprehensive view of subscriber engagement.
- Impact on Reputation: Targeting engaged subscribers, identified through opens and clicks, improves sender reputation and deliverability.
- Segmentation Benefit: Segmentation based on opens and clicks allows for targeted campaigns, improving engagement metrics.
Key considerations
- Data Quality: Be mindful of potential inaccuracies in open rates due to image blocking and other factors. Quality opens as opens who have clicked recently.
- Alternative Metrics: Consider other engagement metrics like website visits, form submissions, and purchases in addition to opens and clicks.
- Content Strategy: If subscribers are opening but not clicking, experiment with different content or more direct calls to action.
- Active vs. Inactive Contacts: If the contact is truly an active user you can just use recent clickers, instead of opens
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says if you have enough truly active contacts, use just recent clickers or quality the opens as opens who have clicked recently.
31 Jan 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit shares that they include opens in their re-engagement campaigns. They believe it helps to identify those who are at least somewhat interested. If someone is opening but not clicking, it’s a signal to try different content or a more direct call to action.
7 Nov 2021 - Reddit
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts suggest that opens can be a valuable indicator of engagement when re-warming sender reputation. There is a general agreement to consider both opens and clicks. Although opens can be overstated, they are still helpful in determining potential subscriber interest. Identifying unengaged users and segmenting them is key for targeted re-warming campaigns, and opens provide insights into potential recipients for such efforts. Opens can also reflect the mailbox provider's assessment of the email address quality, suggesting a higher likelihood of engagement.
Key opinions
- Consensus on Opens and Clicks: There's a rough consensus to consider both opens and clicks for re-warming campaigns.
- Opens as a Leading Indicator: Opens can serve as a leading indicator of deliverability.
- Importance of Segmenting: Identifying and segmenting unengaged users is important for re-warming strategies.
- Mailbox Provider Assessment: Opens may indicate the mailbox provider's assessment of email address quality and higher engagement likelihood.
Key considerations
- Overstated Opens: Be aware that opens can be overstated, so consider them alongside other engagement metrics.
- Targeted Re-engagement: Use personalized campaigns and offers to re-engage inactive subscribers effectively.
- Separate Targeting: Target unengaged users separately to improve re-warming success.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of re-engaging inactive subscribers. They highlight strategies like personalized re-engagement campaigns and offers to win back subscribers. This indirectly suggests considering opens (as a sign of potential interest) when deciding who to target in these re-engagement efforts.
26 Jan 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that opens should be considered a leading indicator of deliverability. It's important to identify users who have not engaged and segment them. Target those users separately when re-warming your list.
19 Aug 2021 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
6 technical articles
Email marketing documentation consistently advises incorporating open data, alongside click data, when building engagement cohorts for sender re-warming. These resources highlight the importance of segmentation, using both opens and clicks to identify active subscribers. This helps improve overall deliverability and sender reputation by targeting campaigns to those most likely to engage, and demonstrating email value to mailbox providers. Using open rates in addition to clicks offers a more comprehensive view of user engagement and facilitates targeted re-engagement strategies.
Key findings
- Comprehensive View: Including opens provides a more complete understanding of user engagement, especially identifying those who engage without clicking.
- Segmentation is Key: Engagement-based segmentation is vital for deliverability, using both open and click data to target active users.
- Improved Reputation: Focusing on engaged subscribers improves sender reputation by demonstrating that emails are valued.
- Data Optimization: Open rates should be tracked with other data points to identify highly engaged contacts.
Key considerations
- Use with Other Data: Use open data alongside click data and other user behaviors for a well-rounded view.
- Clean Up Audience: Regularly clean and segment your audience to maintain high engagement and improve deliverability.
- Campaign Optimization: Use insights from open rates to optimize email campaigns and target appropriate content.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp Resource suggests cleaning up your audience and segmenting engaged contacts. This includes using open and click data to identify active subscribers and improve engagement. Sending targeted campaigns to engaged contacts (those who open or click) helps to improve overall deliverability and re-warm your list.
16 Feb 2025 - Mailchimp Resource
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost advises using open rates to optimize your email campaign. Improve results with high engagement and re-warming email lists.
20 Jun 2021 - SparkPost
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