What is Open Rate?
TL;DR
The percentage of recipients who open your email, Opens ÷ Delivered × 100. Industry averages range from 15-25%, though this varies widely by industry and list quality. However, open rates have become less reliable since Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (2021) can pre-fetch emails, registering opens that didn't actually happen. Despite measurement challenges, open rate trends still matter: a sudden drop signals Email Deliverability problems or unengaging content; a spike indicates resonant Subject Lines. Improve open rates through compelling subject lines (curiosity, benefit, urgency without being spammy), recognizable sender names, optimal send timing for your audience, and list hygiene. Open rate is the first hurdle, once opened, Click-to-Open Rate measures whether your content delivered. Focus on trends and relative performance rather than absolute numbers.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Open Rate
What's a good email open rate?
15-25% is average across industries, but it varies widely. B2B might be higher; promotional retail lower. Compare to your own historical rates and industry benchmarks rather than absolute numbers.
Why are open rates less reliable now?
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (2021) pre-fetches emails, registering opens that didn't actually happen. This inflates open rates for Apple Mail users. Focus on trends and click rates instead of absolute open numbers.
How do I improve open rates?
Write compelling subject lines (curiosity, benefit, urgency without being spammy), use a recognizable sender name, test send timing, clean your list regularly, and segment for relevance. Subject line is the biggest lever.
What does a sudden drop in open rates indicate?
Either deliverability problems (emails going to spam) or content issues (people stopped caring). Check deliverability metrics first. If those are fine, your subject lines or content frequency might be the problem.
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