Click-through rate of the mailing (CTR)

What is the click-through rate of a newsletter?
How to calculate the CTR of newsletters?
Norms for the click-through rate of emails
What factors influence the click rate of email newsletters?
How to increase click-through rates?

What is the click-through rate of a newsletter?

The click-through rate of a newsletter, known as CTR, is an important metric for assessing the effectiveness of email marketing. It reflects the percentage of users who clicked on links, images, or buttons in the sent email. This metric is most often calculated in relation to the number of delivered emails, allowing you to understand how engaged the recipients were with the content. CTR is as important as open rates, as it is crucial for the sender that subscribers not only open the email but also take action, such as visiting a product page.

Most email marketing services automatically calculate this metric and provide it in reports. For example, in Unisender, you can find the CTR of recent newsletters in the "Mailings - History" section. Knowing this metric helps optimize email marketing strategies and understand what specifically captures your subscribers' attention.

How to calculate the CTR of newsletters?

The following formula is used to calculate CTR:

CTR = (number of clicks on links ÷ number of delivered emails) × 100%

CTR can be divided into total and unique. Total CTR counts all clicks made by subscribers on all elements in the email, while unique CTR counts only the number of unique users who clicked on links. This allows for a deeper understanding of how many subscribers are truly interested in your offer.

Total CTR is calculated using the formula:

TCTR = (total clicks ÷ number of delivered emails) × 100%

Unique CTR is calculated as follows:

UCTR = (number of unique clicks ÷ number of delivered emails) × 100%

It is important to note that different services may define unique clicks differently, so it is always advisable to check this parameter in the help information or with technical support.

Norms for the click-through rate of emails

The click-through rate can vary depending on the niche and type of emails. On average, a good CTR starts from 2.14% and higher. However, it is important to remember that click statistics can vary significantly depending on the type of business, the nature of the newsletter, and other factors. It is essential to analyze your own metrics and use them as a reference when assessing campaign effectiveness.

Generally, the following categories can be distinguished for evaluating click-through rates:

Less than 1% — poor;
1–2% — average;
2–4% — good;
More than 4% — excellent.

In some cases, clicks can reach 5–10%, but this is usually associated with automated emails or newsletters sent to small databases. It is important to remember that many newsletters may be purely text-based and contain no active links, so in such cases, click-through rate is not a determining factor.

What factors influence the click rate of email newsletters?

The click-through rate of email newsletters depends on many factors. The main ones include:

Interests of the recipients: If the newsletter does not match the interests of subscribers, the likelihood of clicks will be low.
Email subject: An appealing subject line can increase opens, but if the content does not meet expectations, click-through rates will suffer.
Volume of text: Concise content with clear links will attract more attention than lengthy emails with excessive information.
Design of the newsletter: Aesthetically pleasing design and readability play a key role in capturing attention.
Usability: A user-friendly structure and adaptability of the email for different devices significantly increase the likelihood of clicks.

How to increase click-through rates?

There are several strategies for increasing the CTR of email newsletters. Here are some of them:

Create an engaging subject line: The headline should be interesting and relevant to the content of the email.
Improve content quality: Emails should align with subscribers' interests and contain relevant information.
Clear call to action: CTA buttons should be clear and stand out from the rest of the email.
Personalization and segmentation: Using names and considering subscribers' interests helps enhance their loyalty.
Optimize the frequency of mailings: It is necessary to find a balance so that subscribers do not get fatigued by emails but also do not forget about them.