Should I include opens when building engagement cohorts for re-warming sender reputation?

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
10Marketer 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.

July 2021 - 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.

August 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog advises to segment email lists based on engagement, including opens. Focusing on engaged subscribers, which can be identified through opens, improves sender reputation by sending emails to those most likely to interact positively. This process helps re-warm a list and maintain good deliverability.

July 2023 - Neil Patel's Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog recommends using engagement data, like opens and clicks, for list segmentation. By targeting engaged subscribers during a re-warming campaign, you can improve engagement metrics and sender reputation. They suggest focusing on contacts who have opened or clicked in the past to ensure your emails are reaching interested recipients.

May 2021 - HubSpot Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that open rates and click rates are valuable to achieve high engagement and deliverability. Use that information for re-warming campaigns. Consider opening email more valuable than not opening an email at all.

May 2021 - Campaign Monitor
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow responds that using opens can be beneficial. They consider opens as a soft signal of engagement, especially when combined with other metrics like website visits or form submissions. It helps in identifying potential leads who might need a bit more nurturing.

September 2024 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign blog advises tracking email opens, along with other engagement metrics like clicks. The blog also emphasizes that open and click data should be leveraged to implement re-warming strategy.

June 2022 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Vertical Response shares that open rates are one way to measure engagement. You can then use the data to build more engaging and relevant campaigns. Use opens to re-warm email list.

February 2022 - Vertical Response
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that opens should be tracked and used alongside other factors. Open rates may indicate some degree of interest from subscribers. When re-warming lists, identify contacts that consistently open or click emails.

December 2024 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks thinks you should use both clicks (excluding bot clicks) and opens for re-warming.

July 2023 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
4Expert 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.

February 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.

November 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains opens represent actual opens and also where the mailbox provider feels the email address is good enough to warrant pre-fetching images (higher likelihood of engagement).

May 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that there's a rough consensus among marketers to consider both opens and clicks for re-warming. While opens are overstated, it's not enough to impede your reputation repair efforts.

March 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
6Technical 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.

May 2021 - 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.

January 2024 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Klaviyo Help Center explains that including opens in your engagement cohorts during a re-warming strategy can provide a more comprehensive view of user engagement. They suggest considering opens alongside clicks to identify recipients who are actively engaging with your content, even if they're not clicking through.

May 2024 - Klaviyo Help Center
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid Documentation emphasizes the importance of engagement-based segmentation for deliverability. They recommend using open and click data to identify and target active users during a re-warming process. Focusing on engaged subscribers helps improve your sender reputation by demonstrating that your emails are valued.

October 2021 - SendGrid Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from Litmus Blog advises on segmenting your audience for better engagement. Open rates are a factor to identify active contacts that are more likely to engage. Use them with other data points to achieve optimal results.

December 2024 - Litmus Blog
Technical article

Documentation from GlockApps emphasizes opens and clicks should be tracked with other data points. Use segmenting methods to identify highly engaged contacts. Improve engagement and re-warm your email marketing list.

April 2024 - GlockApps