Emailing goals use cases

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools to drive revenue, engagement, and customer loyalty. But how do you measure success? Without clear, measurable goals and the right metrics, your email strategy could be all over the place.

This guide breaks down key email marketing goals, shows you how to measure them, and offers actionable advice to improve your campaigns. Whether you’re just starting or are looking to refine your strategy, this article will help you focus on the right metrics and tactics for better results.

Goal: Increase revenue

Goal definition: "I want to increase the revenue I get from email marketing by X% in Y months."

Revenue is the most common and complex goal. Many factors contribute, so it’s best to break it down into smaller KPIs. Let’s focus on conversions first.

Direct and indirect conversions

Conversions can happen in 2 ways:

• Direct: A customer clicks a link in your email and buys.
• Indirect: A customer sees your email but doesn’t purchase right away. They come back later to make a purchase.

While it’s difficult to track indirect conversions accurately, focusing on direct conversions can give you clear data to work with. The main metrics are the click-through rate (CTR) and click-to-open rate (CTOR).

Best practices to boost conversions

• Test your emails: Ensure emails look great across devices and are easy to engage with. Run tests on your content - from images to calls to action (CTAs).
• Optimize your CTA: Your call to action (CTA) should be clear, visible, and compelling. Don’t hide it at the
  bottom - place it where users see it right away. Keep key content above the fold (before users need to scroll). Large images can push important content down, so use them with care.
• Personalize your content: Tailor emails based on customers’ preferences. Use tools like Bloomreach Engagement to show personalized product recommendations.
• Encourage feedback: Let customers reply directly to your emails or take quick polls. This makes them feel more connected to your brand.

Manage email frequency

Increasing the number of emails sent out can increase revenue, but sending too many can damage your reputation. Focus on these practices to find the right balance:

• Frequency management: Limit how often you send emails and target engaged customers. Use email analytics to track open rates and engagement to avoid spamming.
• Segment your audience: Not all customers want the same thing. Create campaigns based on their preferences and behaviors - some might be looking for discounts, while others are interested in new arrivals.
• Automate triggered campaigns: Automate emails based on customer actions, like a birthday or a recent purchase. This keeps your content relevant and timely, increasing the likelihood of conversions.

Goal: Grow your active audience

Goal definition: "I want to increase my active audience size by Y%."

Your active audience includes customers who engage with your emails. To expand this group:

• Encourage recipients to add your sender address to their address book or safe sender list.
• Focus on re-engaging inactive users.
• Keep emails relevant and valuable to maintain engagement.

Increase engagement

• Simplify the sign-up process: Make it easy for customers to subscribe. Ensure your sign-up form is clear and compliant with GDPR and explains what subscribers will receive.
• Send a welcome email: After sign-up, send a welcome email that sets expectations. If the customer doesn’t open it, follow up with a re-engagement email offering personalized content or discounts.

Re-engage inactive customers

• Use incentives: Offer discounts or special promotions to bring back customers who haven’t opened your emails in a while.
• A/B test re-engagement emails: Try different approaches, from limited-time offers to showcasing new products, to see what works best for reactivating dormant subscribers.

Goal: Increase open rates

Goal definition: "I want to increase my open rates by 30%."

Open rates are a common email marketing metric, but they don’t always tell the full story. To improve them:

• Understand inbox placement. Your email might land in spam or promotions even if opened.
• Use Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) and Branded Mail by Apple to build trust and improve visibility.

Optimize inbox placement

If your open rates vary across email providers, like Gmail or Yahoo, focus on improving inbox placement. Review our email deliverability best practices to analyze and fix potential issues.

Best practices to increase open rates

• Subject lines: Make your subject lines personal and relevant to the customer’s interests. Test different variations through A/B testing.
• Pre-header text: Use the pre-header to give a sneak peek of the email content. Avoid filler text like "If you can't view this email properly, click here."
• Sender name: Keep it consistent. A/B test different sender names to see which ones generate the most opens. A personal name might work for informal brands, while a company name could work better for others.
• Send time: Timing is everything. Use tools like Optimal Email Time to send your emails when customers are most likely to open them based on their past behavior.

Goal: Improve click-through rates

Goal definition: "I want to improve my click-through rate (CTR) by 20%."

CTR is a crucial metric that shows how engaging your email content is. If your CTR is low, it might indicate that your emails aren't capturing your audience’s attention.

Best practices to boost CTR

• Improve your content: Make sure your content is visually appealing, easy to read, and compelling. Use bullet points and short paragraphs.
• Make CTAs clear and clickable: Your CTA buttons should stand out in the email, using contrasting colors and clear text (for example, “Shop now” instead of just “Click Here”).
• Personalize CTAs: Tailor your CTAs to the reader’s interests based on past behavior. A personalized CTA increases the chance of clicks.

Apple iOS 18 update

Apple iOS 18 brings changes to Apple Mail that affect how emails are displayed and categorized. To understand the impact of the changes on deliverability, review the iOS 18 and email deliverability article.