I’ve been thinking about my subscriber list and newsletter. While the list is relatively small, it has good open and click rates.
But before I get into newsletter statistics, there’s a question many ask: Is a newsletter really necessary for writers, editors, and even ghostwriters?
According to Google’s AI, a newsletter is considered the backbone of a sustainable writing career, offering the highest return on investment (ROI) for both indie authors and ghostwriters. It is one of the only marketing channels you truly own, meaning you are not dependent on unpredictable social media algorithms.
So, yes, it’s necessary. But how do you determine how yours is doing?
I’ll use my newsletter as an example.
THE OPEN RATE (OR)
The open rate is the percentage of subscribers who open the email.
My open rate is 54.38 percent. This is considered excellent. It means that my subscribers are interested in what I send. They may feel it will offer helpful information. The median open rate is around 35-49 percent.
The number one reason for a high open rate is the subject line.
Consider what motivates you to open a newsletter when your inbox is jammed packed with emails.
1. You may feel the sender is reputable and has offered valuable information in the past.
2. The subject line is relevant and sparks interest, curiosity, or value.
I put the title of the blog post I’m featuring in the subject line. And while I don’t pay too much attention to my numbers, I have noticed that titles that aren’t as interesting don’t do as well.
Another factor that contributes to a good open rate is the quality of the list. The subscribers need to be in sync with what is being offered.
For instance, my blog is primarily about fiction writing, writing for children, self-publishing, and marketing for books and writing services.
A person interested in nonfiction, memoirs, speech writing, or other unrelated genres most likely wouldn’t click on my subject line.
THE CLICK RATE (CTR)
The click rate measures the percentage of all delivered emails that received at least one click. Because it includes people who didn’t open the email, it lowers the rate compared to the open rate.
My click rate is 3.28 percent. This is generally considered good and is within or slightly above the average of 2-5 percent.
CLICK-TO-OPEN RATE (CTOR)
The click-to-open rate measures how many people clicked a link in the email after opening it, rather than just out of the total number sent.
The CTOR is a step further for the subscriber. It’s taking another action and means investing time, even if it’s a minute or two. This is where engagement comes into play.
The click may be to read the rest of a blog post, get a freebie, respond to a CTA (call to action), or take another action.
My CTOR rate is 6.9 percent. It generally indicates that the email content is not compelling enough, or the call to action (CTA) is unclear or unwanted. This is an area I need to improve on.
Using my newsletter as an example, I offer articles on my website’s topics.
I’ve jumped back and forth between providing the entire article within the email and giving the first paragraph or two, then linking to the full article on my website.
For the last year or so, I’ve provided the entire article in the newsletter, but my articles are a bit long, usually 800-1000 words or more. It’s easier for me to give a paragraph or two and then link to the full article, so with my most recent newsletter, I went back to this strategy.
Other reasons for using this strategy:
-Bring traffic (people) to your website
-The possibility of visitors commenting on your blog post
-The possibility of visitors sharing your blog post
-Visitors can browse your site, seeing what you have to offer
The burning question everyone has about the CTOR: How do I get my subscriber to click the link(s)?
1. If it’s a CTA or freebie, the button needs to be visible, the offer needs to be easy to understand, motivating, and offering value.
2. If the email leads to a full article, the preview needs to be enticing, motivating enough for the subscriber to want more information.
3. Include visuals.
4. The email subject line also plays a role. If it’s optimized (something the subscriber is interested in), it helps lead to a higher CTOR.
OTHER NEWSLETTER RATES:
Delivery rate. This indicates how many people on your list actually received the email.
Reasons your delivery rate may differ from your total subscribers are bounces, deleted emails, invalid emails, spam filters, and blocking.
Bounce Rate. This indicates how emails are sent but cannot reach the inbox.
Reasons for this include:
-Hard bounces can happen if the email address is invalid, misspelled, or no longer exists.
-Soft bounces are temporary and may be caused by a full mailbox or server problems.
-An inactive subscriber: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will interpret the inactivity as "unwanted" content and may filter it out.
Spam Complaint Rate. This is the percentage of spam reports out of the total number of emails sent. You should want a zero for this one.
Unsubscribe rate. This is the percentage of people who click the Unsubscribe link in your email.
People unsubscribe for a number of reasons, including:
-Just signing up for the freebies
-Too many emails sent
-Boring content
-Lost interest in the content
-Too much promotion
SUMMING IT UP
While it’s important to pay some attention to your newsletter statistics, a newsletter shouldn’t be all about numbers. Depending on your website’s focus, your newsletter’s main purpose should be to provide subscribers with valuable information, support, entertainment, motivation, etc. If you stick to your focus, you shouldn’t have a problem with the rates.
And it’s important to know that the size of your list isn’t as important as the quality.
Transitional Words: How to Use Them and Examples
Writing Fiction – What is Foreshadowing?
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
OTHER HELP I OFFER:
HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK
A 200+ book that will help you write your own children’s book.
CREATING AN AUTHOR ONLINE PLATFORM
This 4-week e-course is over 160-pages of all content, and includes videos. It’s interactive and will take you from square one to selling your books. Available as DIY also.
WRITERS ON THE MOVE SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICE
Self-publishing help for children’s authors
(Picture books and chapter books)
You can contact me at kcioffiventrice@gmail.com.
