Each quarter we measure our campaign results using our Knowledge Bank analytics.
Email Metric Performance
We continue to see the “open rate” spiral lower which places downward pressure on the “click through”. It is interesting to note that the “click through” rate over the past five quarters is flat (1.10% – 1.15%). On the contrary, the “click to open” rate spiked 39.3% year over year, settling in at 10.03%.
List Intelligence™
For the fourth consecutive quarter, the “click to open” metric has increased (39.3% Q3 year over year). In comparison to Q2 2011, the uptick was 7.7%. On the front end, the “open rate” continues to slide, dropping to 11.92% this past quarter. So what are the factors contributing to this performance trend? Based on our analysis and discussions with our publisher network, the demand for email rental campaigns has steadily declined in favor of data providers who offer contact records for purchase. As a result, marketers are purchasing contact records with email addresses included and deploying to their audiences at a much higher rate. The result has been a fundamental change in the channel’s overall performance.
The good news is the “click to open” metric is clearly indicating that audience targeting and messaging is improving. It is impossible for us to isolate which factor is most responsible for this positve change, but our inclination is audience selection. We recognize that due to our segmentation methodologies the metric has likely been compromised. A large percentage of our email rental strategies are based on named accounts and aligned to optimal job titles. As a result, if the email is opened there is a much higher probability that the recipient will click through to the offer page. We will continue to monitor this trend each quarter.
For additional information, read our Fall 2011 List Intelligence™ Report at: http://www.oceanosinc.com/listintelligence/
