What are the best alternative metrics to email open rates for measuring engagement?

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that click-through rate (CTR) is a solid alternative to open rates because it directly reflects subscriber interaction with your content. A higher CTR indicates that your audience finds your emails relevant and engaging.

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that monitoring conversion rates from your email campaigns provides a clearer picture of engagement. Tracking how many recipients complete a desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase, can be useful.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares they are using the ESP formerly known as Pardot. It provides read/skimmed info separately from the usual KPIs like opens and clicks.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that in addition to clicks, they’re paying more attention to other interactions like read and skimmed.

Email marketer from Mailchimp Resources responds that for e-commerce businesses, tracking sales directly attributable to email campaigns is a valuable metric. It moves beyond simple engagement and shows the direct financial impact of your email efforts.

Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailMarketingPro explains that tracking email replies is valuable. A reply indicates a deeper level of engagement and interest than just an open or click. It's a sign that your content resonated with the recipient.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow user 'EmailGuru' explains that a forward rate measures how often your emails are forwarded to other people. High forward rates suggest the content is seen as useful and worth sharing.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that click rate is the next go-to metric to replace open rates. Open rates are still used but as "adding color to the picture" rather than "the whole picture". Also encourages senders to pay attention to web and social media engagements.

Email marketer from SuperOffice Blog answers that some advanced email tracking tools allow you to measure the time subscribers spend actively viewing your emails. This is another signal of engagement that moves beyond opens.

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains they've been using the litmus tracking link in emails. The tracking code gives a breakdown of read/skimmed as <2 seconds, 2-8 seconds, or >8 seconds

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog responds that if you're promoting events, track attendance from email invitations. This shows how effectively your emails are driving real-world participation and engagement.

Email marketer from MarketingProfs shares that tracking social media shares originating from your email campaigns can highlight engaging content. If subscribers are sharing your emails with their networks, it indicates that the content is valuable and resonates with them.

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog shares that monitoring website traffic from email campaigns can reveal engagement. Increased traffic to specific pages after an email send suggests that subscribers are interested in learning more about what you offer.

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that moving beyond opens requires a shift to more meaningful engagement metrics such as click-through rates on links within the email, conversion rates demonstrating the recipient took a desired action, and tracking user behavior on your website after clicking from the email.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that Click-through rates (CTR) measure the number of recipients who clicked on one or more links in your email. It is a good indicator of how relevant and interesting your email content is to your audience. Higher CTRs suggest that your audience is engaged with your content and finds it valuable.

Documentation from Google Analytics explains using goals is useful. Set up goal completions in Google Analytics to measure specific actions taken by users who arrive at your site from email campaigns. This could include signing up for a newsletter or downloading a resource.

Documentation from Campaign Monitor explains that list growth indicates subscriber interest in your content. An increasing subscriber base suggests your emails are providing value and attracting new audiences.

Documentation from Sendinblue responds that while a low unsubscribe rate is always desirable, monitoring changes in unsubscribe rates can give insights into content performance. A sudden increase in unsubscribes after a particular campaign may indicate issues with content relevancy or frequency.

Documentation from Litmus explains that using email client analytics (like their own tool) allows you to see how long people are actively reading your emails. This gives a more nuanced understanding of engagement than a simple open.