SocialWhat are Email Marketing Benchmarks?
Email marketing benchmarks are standard performance metrics—such as open rates, click-through rates (CTR), unsubscribe rates, and bounce rates—used to compare your campaign’s success with industry averages. They offer insight into how your emails perform in relation to others in your sector or region.
Why Compare Email Metrics to Industry Benchmarks?
Measuring your metrics against industry benchmarks helps assess how your emails stack up. It gives perspective: Are your open rates strong? Are your CTRs lower than average? Are your unsubscribe rates unusually high? This type of comparison helps marketers find opportunities to improve campaigns based on proven industry data.
Where to Find Email Marketing Benchmark Data
You can find industry benchmarks from email service providers (ESPs) like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Constant Contact, and HubSpot. These companies publish annual reports that break down average email performance by industry, company size, and more. Additional data can be found through marketing firms like Campaign Monitor, Smart Insights, or in digital marketing forums and communities.
How to Compare Your Metrics to Industry Standards
Start by reviewing your own data from recent campaigns. Focus on core metrics: open rates, CTR, bounce rates, and unsubscribes. Then, locate industry benchmark reports specific to your field. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples—similar industries, business models, or audience sizes. Identify where you stand out or fall short, and look deeper into what may be driving those results.
How to Use Benchmark Data to Improve Performance
Use benchmark data as a guide, not a rulebook. Your goal isn’t to match an average—it’s to improve your own performance over time. A below-average CTR might be a sign to refine your calls to action, while a high unsubscribe rate could signal a need to revisit your content strategy or frequency. Benchmarking should support a cycle of testing, analysis, and optimization.
What Else to Consider
Benchmarks provide a helpful frame of reference, but they don’t account for every factor—like audience behavior, campaign goals, or email content quality. A campaign that falls below the industry average in open rate could still be highly effective if it drives strong conversions. Focus on long-term trends in your own data, not just comparisons, and always aim to understand the “why” behind each result.
