MailChimp response, is this usual?

[Lucan Unlordly]

Having just started using MailChimp i'm not sure what to expect but of 1000 email sent out, just 550 have been opened, 21 bounced.

Of 49 sent out, just 24 opens.

Is this typical?

My mailing list users will know us and want to hear what we have to say.

 

[NickGrogan]

Its about right for a subscribed list. Work on your titles and you might see an improvement. But remember just because someone bought something from you or subscribed to a list doesn't mean that they'll read everything you send,

 

[techpro]

I agree with nick. You have to A/B test things like changing title of emails, content of your email, template of your mail etc. to understand user behavior and what your subscribers would like to read.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

There is no "normal". People will open and read your emails for different reasons and dependant on their mood , the time of day, the weather and a gazillion other things. 50% open rate is fine.

I disagree with testing. Just send more emails, more frequently. And make them interesting in themselves, so people look forward to the next instalment.

We sent the same email repeatedly to the same list and saw widely varying open rates and responses - split testing an email against itself There are just far too many variables in the wild to take any testing results seriously...

 

[RPower]

There are so many variables. Some won't use that particular email account, some will get caught in spam filters, some will be on holidays or haven't seen the emails yet. Some people simply don't click on emails.

I agree with all the suggestions above. It's very, very rare to get a 90 or even 100% open or click through rate!

 

[justinaldridge]

A 50% open rate is excellent these days! What sort of click through rates are you getting?

And remember that open rates aren't accurate, especially if people have images disabled on emails. CTR is a much more meaningful metric

 

[beasty]

An open rate of 50% is really really good!


Most i ever had was 56% and average is 35.3%
Mailchimp tells me the industry average for my emails is 2.9%

So 50% is spectacular especially as a first go.

...............
Got a Mailshot happening in the USA, 50,000 emails will normally get around 6000 opens

So NO its not normal, its better


The initial open is like saying hello and they acknowledge you, it is what comes next that matters.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Thanks allI...

Up to 58.5% now...

Our users are more likely to be working on building sites than behind computers so I guess we should be pleased but some of the messages we send are essential reading so had hoped for more.

It was a poor title 'Test 1' and limited content so things can only get better!

 

[madams_ba]

Try segmenting your lists by type of customer and where they signed up. Then you can target people with emails that are specific for that lists interests

 

[emmabjones]

Keep your message short and make your title interesting to your audience. This will reduce the bounce rate and will increase the # of opens.

 

[andygambles]

Also the Open Rate tracking works on users loading a 1x1 pixel within the email. Some mail clients block images by default. So your actual open rate might be higher.

 

[emmabjones]

Also the Open Rate tracking works on users loading a 1x1 pixel within the email. Some mail clients block images by default. So your actual open rate might be higher.

Very interesting fact. I din't know that!

 

[HK Communications]

The open rate is often low when sending e-shots, even if it's a warm lead, or customer. I used to work for a charity, and their open rate of emails sent to existing donors was under 20%, so you seem to be doing OK. I don't think that sending more emails more frequently is the answer, otherwise you risk being seen as spammy.