How can you identify your most engaged email subscribers?

Do not forget to consider the type of business you are in because that will determine your timeframe on which you should measure your KPI´s on. The timeframe will also affect how you view/measure your KPI´s. For example if you sell heat pumps your email subscribers might not have high engagement in the sort run but if you look over a six month period it might be OK. While if you are in the fast consumer business a user might open emails more frequently hence you might want track on a weekly basis.

While these metrics are good. I also work with clients to monitor social media interactions related to their email campaigns. Identify subscribers who engage with their brand on social media platforms and cross-reference them with their email engagement metrics.

Engagement isn't just about opens and clicks, it's about understanding behavior. Look at the time spent reading your emails. Are they skimming or diving deep? Are your subscribers sharing your content? This is a strong indicator of value. Leverage A/B testing to refine your approach continuously. Data is your friend, but it’s the insights and actions you take from this data that truly count.

To gauge email subscriber engagement effectively, monitor key metrics like open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribe rate. Open rate shows the percentage of subscribers opening your emails, while click-through rate indicates those clicking on links or buttons within. Conversion rate reflects subscribers completing a desired action, bounce rate tracks emails not delivered, and unsubscribe rate shows those opting out. Analyzing these metrics over time reveals engagement patterns and trends. Comparing these metrics across different subscriber segments can further highlight which groups are more responsive and loyal to your brand.

These are all typical engagement metrics, but I don't think they tell the whole story. I have definitely had emails I read religiously where I have opened them but never clicked on anything because I'm interested in the content of the email. One thing I think that people miss out on is asking their email subscribers questions and utilising simple survey functions within email to figure out more about their user audience and find a way to customise journeys or even using it the way you use polls on Instagram to engage with audiences a little bit more. Talk to your users!

Surveys could be goldmines for insights. But people are busy. Surveys need to be short, sweet, and to the point. One or two questions, or you risk losing their attention. Make these interactions fun and engaging. You can also use survey responses to segment your audience further. Tailor your content to match their preferences. Email should be a two-way conversation, not a broadcast.

You can try to make people do a whole long survey but... you don't have to! Ask one question per email. Don't overload them. Make it easy!

Automation is a game changer. But even better is automation with personalization. Use your data to create dynamic content that adapts to user behavior. Segment your audience and tailor your messages accordingly. Use automation to send emails when your subscribers are most likely to engage.

An automated welcome journey can help people remember why they signed on and keep them onboard. If you can automate based off of customer behaviour -- even better! Even something as simple as emailing people who abandoned their carts with a coupon code can be a game changer.

Your emails should resonate emotionally with your subscribers. Tell stories, share successes and failures, be authentic. People engage with brands they feel connected to. Also, keep an eye on industry trends and adapt your strategies accordingly. Stay curious, stay adaptable, and always keep your subscriber's needs at the forefront.

Email is one of the few platforms where you have direct contact with your audience in way that's not artificially decreased. Social media will limit your reach to encourage you to buy ads. Email is a much stronger channel than people give it credit for. Don't be afraid to trim your list of people who are not engaging in your content. Email is where you can find people actually engaged in what you have to offer.