Email Marketing Benchmark & Trends in 2024

Email marketing is still one of the best ways to reach and engage with customers, but sending out emails isn’t enough. To truly succeed, you need to know how well your emails are performing. Metrics like open rate, click-through rate, click-to-open rate, unsubscribe rate, and bounce rate can show you where things are going right—or wrong.

We are breaking down these important email metrics, sharing what the average performance looks like across industries. Knowing how your emails stack up against the competition shows whether your email campaigns are on target or need a little fine-tuning. Think of average email benchmarks as your guide to boosting open rates, clicks, and conversions—pointing you in the right direction for better results.

Key Email Marketing Metrics Explained

Before we dive into the numbers, let’s quickly explain some of the most important metrics:

 

1. 1. Open Rate: This is the percentage of people who open your email out of the total emails delivered. A higher open rate means your subject line and sender name caught their attention.

1. 1. Click-Through Rate (CTR): This tells you the percentage of people who clicked on links inside your email. A higher CTR shows that the content you’re sharing is engaging enough to get people to take action.
      

1. 1. Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR): This measures how many people clicked a link after opening your email. It’s a great way to see if your email content is relevant and interesting to those who open it.

1. 1. Unsubscribe Rate: This is the percentage of recipients who opt out of your email list. If this rate is high, it might be a sign that your content isn’t what your audience wants or you’re emailing them too often.

1. 1. Bounce Rate: Bounce rate shows the percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered. A “soft bounce” is temporary (like a full inbox), while a “hard bounce” means the email address is invalid or no longer exists.

Industry Benchmarks for Email Marketing

How does your email marketing stack up against the competition? Here’s a look at overall averages for email metrics based on data from some of the popular email marketing platforms. These benchmarks give you an idea of how well your campaigns are performing:

Metric	Average Benchmark
Open Rate	19-22%
Click-Through Rate	2.5-3%
Click-to-Open Rate	10-14%
Unsubscribe Rate	0.1-0.3%
Bounce Rate	0.6-1%

These numbers can vary depending on your industry, audience, and how well your emails are tailored to your subscribers. Comparing your own metrics to these averages helps you understand where you’re doing well and where you can improve.

Wondering how your email marketing performance compare to others in the same industry? Check out the table below for 2024 industry average for open rate, click-through rate (CTR), click-to-open rate (CTOR) and unsubscribe rate from the top email marketing vendors.

Comparing Email Marketing Tools

Choosing the right email marketing tool can make a big difference in your metrics. Platforms like Mailchimp, GetResponse, Omnisend, MailerLite, and Klaviyo offer various features like automation, segmentation, and analytics. Each platform has strengths depending on your specific business needs. For example, MailerLite is ideal for small businesses with its user-friendly design and affordability, while Klaviyo shines for e-commerce with advanced segmentation and deep integrations. Meanwhile, GetGist provides an all-in-one solution with email marketing, chat, and automation tools, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking to streamline their customer engagement. Each tool has its strengths, so choose based on your specific needs to drive better engagement and conversions.

How to Improve Your Email Marketing Metrics

Now that you know where you stand, here are some simple ways to boost your open rates, click-through rates, and more—while also reducing bounces and unsubscribes.

1. Improve Open Rates

• • Write Eye-Catching Subject Lines: Make your subject lines short, intriguing, and personalized. Use personalization strategically, focusing on relevance and value rather than just inserting the recipient’s name.

• • Use Emojis Wisely: Add a bit of fun to your subject lines with relevant emojis, but keep it simple to grab attention without overdoing it. According to studies from GetResponse, emojis might not increase open rate. The best approach is to A/B test to see what works for your brand.

• • Add Relevant Preheader Text: Studies from GetReponse showed significant increase in open rate and click-through rate using preheader. Make sure your preheader adds value to the subject line and gives your readers a clear reason to open your email.

• • A/B Testing: Test different subject lines (e.g short vs. long subject lines) or preview text versions to see what resonates best with your audience, then send the winner to the rest of your list.

• • Send At The Right Time: Experiment with different times and days to figure out when your audience is most likely to open your emails.

2. Boost Click-Through and Click-to-Open Rates

• • Segment Your Audience: Not everyone on your list wants the same thing. Break your list into smaller segments based on interests or past behavior for more personalized content.

• • Include Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Make sure your CTAs stand out and are easy to understand. Use action words like “Shop Now,” “Learn More,” or “Get Started.”

• • Offer Valuable Content: Ensure the content in your email is useful and relevant to your readers. Give them a reason to click through to your website.

• • Use Dynamic content: Display relevant and personalised content based customer’s preferences and digital activities using marketing automation.

• • Use Visuals: Make your emails more engaging by adding creative visuals like images, GIFs, or videos that enhance your message and keep readers interested.

• • Optimize Your Design: Make sure your emails are mobile-friendly and visually appealing. Clear and simple designs usually perform better.

3. Reduce Unsubscribe Rates

• • Set Expectations Upfront: Let subscribers know how often they’ll hear from you and what kind of content they’ll get.

• • Offer Email Preferences: Allow subscribers to choose what types of emails they want to receive and how often.

• • Don’t Overwhelm Your Audience: Too many emails can annoy people. Keep your frequency reasonable and relevant.

4. Lower Bounce Rates

• • Regularly Clean Your Email List: Remove invalid or inactive email addresses to ensure you’re only sending to engaged subscribers.

• • Use Double Opt-In: This ensures that the email addresses you collect are real and that the subscriber truly wants to receive your emails.

• • Monitor and Fix Delivery Issues: If you notice a lot of soft bounces, check if there are technical issues like full inboxes or server problems.

 

Key Takeaways From the Research

1. The Power of Personalization

 

• • While personalizing email subject lines is not as effective as it once was, personalizing the email body itself remains crucial. Emails with personalized content see higher open rates and lower bounce rates.

• • However, marketers should avoid over-personalization, as it can feel impersonal and automated.

• • The key is to focus on relevance and value. Use data to understand your audience’s needs and tailor your messaging accordingly. Leverage AI-powered tools to personalize offers based on first-party user data.

2. Embrace Automation, Especially for Specific Email Types

 

• • Automated emails outperform manual campaigns across all key metrics, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.

• • Focus on automating transactional emails (e.g., order confirmations, shipping updates) to drive repeat purchases and revenue.

• • Welcome emails are your most valuable asset, boasting high open and click-through rates. Use them to introduce your brand, highlight key offerings, and encourage engagement.

• • Invest in robust automated email sequences, including welcome series, post-purchase follow-ups, and abandoned cart reminders, to nurture leads and drive conversions.

• • Don’t neglect webinar reminders! Multiple reminders sent at strategic times (e.g., one day, one hour, and five minutes before the webinar) can significantly boost attendance.

3. Strategic Use of Visuals

 

• • Emails with graphics have higher open, click-through, and click-to-open rates compared to text-only emails.

• • Experiment with different visual elements, such as product boxes, links, surveys, quizzes, and galleries, to make your emails more engaging.

• • However, always consider your target audience, as preferences may vary. A/B test different formats to optimize your campaigns for maximum impact.

• • Consider incorporating video content into your emails. Videos, such as product demos, customer testimonials, and webinar recordings, can increase engagement. However, be aware that not all email providers fully support embedded videos.

4. Prioritize Email Deliverability and List Hygiene

 

• • Focus on building a healthy email list with engaged subscribers.

• • Implement a double opt-in process to ensure subscriber quality.

• • Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers and reduce bounce rates.

• • Familiarize yourself with email deliverability best practices to avoid spam filters and ensure your emails reach the inbox.

5. Leverage Send Time Optimization Tools

 

• • The sources highlight that sending emails at the optimal time can significantly impact open and click-through rates.

• • Utilize send-time optimization tools like GetResponse’s Perfect Timing or Time Travel to analyze recipient behavior and automatically deliver emails at the most opportune moments.

6. Utilize Data and A/B Testing

 

• • Regularly track your email marketing metrics and compare them to industry benchmarks to identify areas for improvement.

• • Embrace A/B testing to experiment with different subject lines, content variations, calls to action, and sending times. This iterative process allows for ongoing optimization and adaptation to evolving trends.

7. Explore New Channels and Technologies

 

• • Don’t underestimate the power of SMS marketing. It boasts high engagement rates and offers a direct communication channel with consumers.

• • Consider incorporating SMS into your automated workflows, especially for welcome messages, abandoned cart reminders, and time-sensitive promotions.

• • Experiment with web push notifications as an additional channel to reach your audience. While still considered underutilized, push notifications offer a less saturated marketing channel with high engagement potential.

By keeping track of these metrics and following these simple steps, you can improve your email marketing results, strengthen your relationship with your audience, and ultimately drive more conversions. Remember, email marketing is about quality over quantity—sending the right message to the right person at the right time is key!

Improving email marketing performance doesn’t have to be complicated. At Omnify X, we specialize in helping businesses like yours optimize email campaigns for higher open rates, better engagement, and stronger conversions.

Sources of Benchmark Data

These industry averages and insights are drawn from leading email marketing platforms, including Constant Contact, Mailerlite, Mailchimp, Omnisend, and GetResponse. Using this data, you can make informed decisions and ensure your email marketing is always ahead of the curve.