Email Click Rate, also known as click-through rate (CTR), is an email marketing metric that shows the percentage of people who click on a link in an email.
It helps you understand how compelling your email content is to your audience.1
Formula
How Email Click Rate Is Calculated?
Email click rate is calculated by dividing the number of clicks on links within an email by the total number of emails delivered, then multiplying the result by 100 to get a percentage.
The formula for email click rate is:
Email Click Rate = (Number of Clicks / Number of Delivered Emails) x 1002
Purpose
The purpose of tracking the email click rate is to evaluate how effective the email content is.
A higher click rate means the content engages enough to prompt recipients to take desired actions.
This insight lets you refine your email marketing strategies and craft compelling campaigns.3
Factors Influencing Email Click Rate
- Subject Line: A captivating subject line can significantly increase the likelihood of recipients opening and engaging with an email.
- Content Relevance: Emails containing relevant, personalized, and valuable information are likelier to be clicked.
- Call to Action (CTA): Clear and compelling CTAs direct recipients to take action, increasing click rates.
- Email Design: Visually appealing emails with a clear layout can enhance the user experience, making it easier for recipients to find and click links.
- Timing: The time and day an email is sent can impact its effectiveness. Different audiences may engage more at specific times.4
Usage
Email click rate is used across various aspects of email marketing to understand recipient behavior and optimize campaigns for better results.
Here’s how it is typically used:
- Assess Content Engagement: Click rates help determine how engaging the email content is to the audience. A high click rate indicates the content is relevant and compelling enough to encourage recipients to learn more or act.
- Evaluate Calls to Action: Click rates can provide insights into the effectiveness of different calls to action (CTAs) within the email. Marketers can determine which links or buttons receive more clicks and refine their approach by analyzing which CTAs work best.
- Segment Audience Based on Interest: Marketers use click rates to segment their email list based on user interest. Recipients who click on certain links may be more interested in specific products or topics, allowing marketers to tailor future communications more precisely.
- Optimize Email Design: Click rates can influence the design of future emails. For example, the placement of links, the layout of the email, and the visual elements used can all be optimized based on what generates the most clicks.
- A/B Testing: Marketers often use click rates to conduct A/B testing on different email versions. By varying elements like the email copy, the layout, or the images used, they can see which version drives more clicks and use that information to improve their emails.
- Measure ROI of Email Campaigns: By tracking which emails lead to clicks and ultimately to conversions, marketers can calculate their email campaigns’ return on investment (ROI).
- Trigger Automated Campaigns: Like open rates, click rates can trigger automated marketing workflows. For example, if a recipient clicks on a specific link, they might be automatically enrolled in a more targeted follow-up email series relevant to their interests.5
Example
Suppose a company sends an email campaign to 10,000 subscribers promoting a new product.
If 500 recipients clicked on the link within the email, the email click rate would be calculated as follows:
This means that 5% of the recipients found the email engaging enough to click on the link.
Based on this rate, the company can make informed decisions to enhance future email campaigns.
Related Terms
References:
1. What is an email click rate?. Campaign Monitor. (2020a, May 1). https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/glossary/email-click-rate-also-known-as-click-through-rate/
2. Burns, R. (2024, January 5). Email click-through rate: What is CTR (and how to improve it). ActiveCampaign. https://www.activecampaign.com/blog/email-ctr
3. Drexler, O. (2023, December 7). What is email click through rate + how to UP CTR. Mayple. https://www.mayple.com/resources/email-marketing/email-click-through-rate
4. Email click-through rate: What you need to know to succeed. CXL. (2022, August 29). https://cxl.com/guides/click-through-rate/email/
5. McGreevy, A., & Harper, A. (2024, March 19). 8 email click rate tactics to engage subscribers [+examples]. Klaviyo. https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/click-rate