Is email tracking dead and should marketers stop using open rates?

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.

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.

Email marketer from Litmus responds that while open rates are becoming less reliable due to Apple's Mail Privacy Protection, they're not entirely useless. Marketers should use them cautiously, alongside other engagement metrics, and focus on delivering value to subscribers.

Email marketer from Reddit's r/emailmarketing responds that while open rates are less reliable, marketers can track click-through rates, conversion rates, website traffic, and subscriber engagement to measure email campaign success.

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) has introduced inflated open rates due to proxied opens. Marketers should shift their focus from open rates to more reliable metrics like click-through rates, website visits, and conversions.

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that while email tracking is becoming more challenging due to privacy changes, it's not dead. Marketers need to adapt by focusing on other metrics like click-through rates and conversions, and by building stronger relationships with subscribers.

Email marketer from G2 explains that metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and website traffic are more reliable indicators of email engagement than open rates. Marketers should focus on tracking these metrics to measure campaign success.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor advises that while open rates are less reliable, email marketing can still be effective. Marketers should focus on creating valuable content, segmenting audiences, and tracking metrics like click-through rates and conversions.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that open rates are only good when comparing them to your open rates over time. If an average of 50% drops to 25%, there is probably a problem.

Email marketer from MarketingOverCoffee forum expresses that open rates should be used as a directional metric, not a definitive one. They suggest focusing on A/B testing subject lines and calls-to-action to optimize email performance.

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.

Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that opens don't happen in the spam folder - even when the user actually opens the message.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that open rates have always been flawed and marketers should consider different methods to measure engagement.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that "if you got an open you _probably_ ended up in the inbox” at many providers.

Expert from Word to the Wise suggests marketers should start paying more attention to click-through rates, conversion rates, and subscriber behavior as an alternative to open rates. These provide better data to track engagement.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests that if marketing is so weak that recipients knowing that you are tracking their behavior will break it, then the sender is just a stalker.

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.

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.

Documentation from ActiveCampaign responds that marketers can use goals to track specific actions, such as form submissions, purchases, or website visits, to measure the effectiveness of their email campaigns, independent of open rates.

Documentation from Oracle Bronto responds that while open rates were once a primary metric, marketers should now embrace a more comprehensive view of email performance. This includes analyzing click-through rates, conversions, and website activity.