• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, December 20, 2023

Email metrics vary by industry, the time of year, time of day and other variables. But they can be tracked and improved, according to the 2023 Email Marketing Benchmark Report, a study by Twilio Sendgrid.  

Take the open rate. It is slightly less accurate since Apple launched its Mail Privacy Protection in 2021, but it remains an important measure. 

The average unique open rate is now 19.09%. The median unique open rate is 15.75%. 

Normal business hours — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — produce the highest unique opens, from 44% to 46%. Monday is the best day of the workweek, although not by much.  

Open rates can be boosted with such basic tactics as writing engaging subject lines, A/B testing, optimizing the preview text and segmenting your email list.  

Then there’s the click rate. The average click rate is 4.48%, and the median rate 2.01%. 

Not all email campaigns result in click rates — exceptions include privacy updates and transactional emails.

But those that do achieve the click rates benefit from mobile-friendly design, engaging graphics, a prominent call to action and personalization.

The bounce rate measures the degree to which your messages are denied based on invalid email address (the hard bounce) or temporary service issues (the soft bounce).

The average bounce rate is 1.06% and the median is 0.21%.

Bounce rates, too, can be improved. Here are some tips: 

• Authenticate your emails 
• Monitor deny lists 
• Use a reputable ESP
• Avoid spam trigger words 

Meanwhile, the Spam Complaint Rate measures how frequently recipients complain that a message is spam. The median rate is 0.25%. 

Here are ways to lower your spam rates:

• Use the double opt-in method 
• Don’t buy email lists 
• Use an email preference center
• Use a clear sender names 
• Utilize BIMI (Brand Indicators For Message Identification 

How do your results compare with these benchmarks? 

The metrics are based on analysis of 5 trillion emails sent through Twilio Sendgrid’s platform in 2022.