What is Open Rate?
Open rate is an email marketing metric that measures the percentage of subscribers who open a specific email. It’s traditionally been a key indicator of email engagement and subject line effectiveness.
Open Rate Formula
Open Rate = (Emails Opened / Emails Delivered) × 100
If you send 1,000 emails, 950 are delivered, and 190 are opened, your open rate is 20%.
Industry Benchmarks
- All Industries Average: 15-25%
- B2B: 15-23%
- E-commerce: 12-18%
- Nonprofits: 20-28%
Important Note: Apple Mail Privacy
Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (introduced iOS 15) pre-loads email content, inflating open rates. This makes open rate less reliable as a metric. Focus more on click rates, conversions, and revenue generated.
Improving Open Rates
Write compelling subject lines, personalize the “from” name, segment your list, send at optimal times, maintain list hygiene, and avoid spam triggers.