Data is a powerful ally when making strategic marketing decisions. From knowing what type of email content performs well to planning campaigns that keep subscribers engaged throughout their journey, metrics are the compass that guides your efforts.
However, not all metrics are created equal. Some look impressive on paper but offer little actionable insight—these are vanity metrics. Others, known as actionable metrics, provide meaningful data that drives real results.
This article will help you distinguish between them and learn how to leverage both effectively.
But how do you distinguish between fluff and actionable email marketing metrics that matter? Not to worry, this article will clarify the following.
In a nutshell, vanity metrics are those numbers that provide surface-level insight but don’t illustrate the bigger picture of what’s happening, nor positively contribute to your long-term strategic goals.
Relying on this data will not only inflate the overall picture of what’s happening but also has the potential to do more harm than good if not handled correctly.
Having a good-looking report that doesn’t reflect tangible results doesn’t help your business. Use vanity metrics cautiously to avoid overestimating success or missing opportunities for improvement. You don’t want to use vague metrics that put you in a situation where you miss out on the opportunity to drive subscriber engagement, create content that’s driving clicks but virtually no conversions, or send correspondence blindly.
Here’s a breakdown of vanity email marketing metrics to look at cautiously and why they’re problematic when considered in isolation. Open Rate=Total Number of Unique Email Opens(Total Number of Emails Sent - Total Number of Email Bounces)*100
Delivery Rate
It’s important to know whether your emails were delivered successfully. A low delivery rate may be a sign to clean up your email list or authenticate your domain if it’s continuously ending up in spam folders.
However, a high delivery rate doesn’t guarantee engagement. For instance, you may achieve a 90% delivery rate, but if only 1% of subscribers open your emails, it offers limited value.
Formula:
Delivery Rate = (Total Number of Emails Delivered ÷ Total Number of Emails Sent) × 100
Open Rate
A high open rate can be exciting, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into action. Users might open an email without reading or engaging further.
But at the same time, a high open rate doesn’t mean that a viewer took the time to read your newsletter, nor does it translate to an action that affects your business's bottom line.
And that’s why open rate is a vanity metric when considered in isolation: it only shows how many people looked at your email when it appeared in their inboxes, but that doesn’t mean that it translated into something more meaningful.
Open rate is an excellent metric to use when testing subject lines and snippets, but a high open rate without any follow-throw does not drive the bottom line.
Formula:
Open Rate = (Total Number of Unique Email Opens ÷ (Total Emails Sent − Total Email Bounces)) × 100
Total Subscribers
A large subscriber list looks good but can be misleading if the subscribers are inactive or disengaged.
Imagine having a large email database for your retail business but no one sweeping up your exclusive 50% Off coupon when it’s sent out. That shiny subscriber rate won’t mean much in those types of scenarios.
Instead of focusing solely on total subscribers, monitor engaged subscribers, new subscribers, and list growth.
Better metrics would include engaged subscribers (those who are opening and clicking emails), new subscribers (which shows that you are adding new leads into the mix, and list growth (an indication that new people are joining your email list faster than those who are unsubscribing).
Formula:
Subscriber Growth Rate = ((New Subscribers − (Unsubscribes + Bounces)) ÷ Total Subscribers) × 100
Actionable metrics are measurable data points directly tied to your KPIs, objectives, and goals. They allow for informed decisions that improve your email marketing strategy.
These metrics reveal whether your campaigns are effectively driving engagement, conversions, or revenue.
Wondering where to begin with actionable email marketing metrics? Here’s a good starting point to consider.
Conversion
Conversions measure how many subscribers took the desired action, such as clicking a CTA, filling out a form, or downloading a guide.
Keep in mind that conversions are not always sales; they can also indicate micro Conversion) like moving further down the funnel.
This actionable metric shows user intent and is a good evaluator of email marketing performance. Viewing an email is one thing, but following through on a specific action means that you’ve done something right.
Formula:
Conversion Rate = (Number of Conversions ÷ Total Emails Delivered) × 100
Forward and Sharing Rate
When subscribers forward or share your emails, it indicates that your content was valuable and worth sharing.
It also shows the potential of relevant email marketing to increase referrals and audience size.
Formula:
Forward and Sharing Rate = (Total Shares and Forwards ÷ Total Emails Delivered) × 100
Clickthrough Rate
The click-through rate measures how many recipients clicked on links or buttons within your email. Keep in mind that a clickthrough rate doesn’t always translate to a favorable action, such as filling out the contact form that a link leads to, or making an online purchase.
However, it’s a good indicator that your email marketing content was enticing or interesting enough to explore further.
Formula:
Click-Through Rate = (Total Unique Clicks ÷ Total Emails Delivered) × 100
Pro-Tip: Use marketing dashboards and automation tools to track trends over time and visualize data efficiently
You may wonder why vanity metrics exist in the first place if they don’t provide a basis for strategic decision-making. To get some value from vanity metrics, you should:
1. Monitor Them For Useful Insights–But Don’t Mistake It For Solid Ground
Vanity metrics can signal positive engagement patterns. For example, a growing subscriber list may indicate strong content appeal, provided the audience is genuine and targeted.
For example, an uptick in the number of email subscribers may indicate that your content is engaging or that users are interested in learning more about your brand.
On the other hand, it won’t mean much if those subscribers aren’t your target audience or are spammy email addresses (which is where context comes into play).
2. Consider Vanity Metrics in Relation to Other Insights
Analyze vanity metrics alongside actionable ones. For instance, a high delivery rate paired with a low click-through rate might indicate that your subject lines need improvement..
It’s one thing if emails were delivered, but you’ll need to know what happened after and how you can improve in the future (e.g., improving your newsletter design).
3. Use Them As Support for Actionable Email Marketing Metrics
When interpreted correctly, vanity metrics can complement actionable ones.
To achieve email marketing success, what’s typically considered a vanity metric may help you to put the puzzle pieces together.
Say you’ve participated in a retail trade show attended by people who fall within your target audience. After encouraging newsletter sign-ups at your booth, there’s a significant increase in subscriber rate and an uptick in online sales.
In this case, your growing subscriber base may indicate that this type of outbound event was worth your time, as it resulted in a high number of conversions. As you can see, contextualizing a vanity metric, in this case, helps you to make more informed decisions and reach your goals.
It may be confusing to distinguish vanity metrics from insightful ones. Here are some tips to help you make that decision.
Define what success looks like. Whether it’s driving traffic, increasing sales, or boosting event signups, clarity helps determine which metrics matter most.
Tie KPIs directly to your objectives. For instance, if your goal is 3,000 online sales in Q2, focus on conversion and revenue-related metrics.
Pro-Tip: When setting KPIs Dashboard, follow the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely
If a metric doesn’t influence your bottom line, it’s likely not actionable. For example, high delivery rates alone won’t drive conversions unless accompanied by engagement data.
For example, looking at the email delivery rate in isolation isn’t a good measure of business success, especially if you’re focused on driving clickthrough rates or some other user action. Remember–not every metric is a KPI.
Email marketing remains a powerful tool for engagement, brand building, and sales growth—but only when guided by meaningful data.
Be wary of vanity metrics that look impressive but lack real impact. Instead, focus on actionable metrics that reveal how your subscribers interact and convert.
By understanding your audience, defining measurable KPIs, and tracking actionable metrics, you’ll drive better decisions and long-term success in every campaign.
