There are various programs available to check the success of your e-mail marketing activities. Many of them offer packages with numerous functions. E-mail marketing software is included in applications such as MailChimp, Newsletter2Go, CleverReach (all are free when sending a low volume of newsletters), as well as programs such as GetResponse and CampaignMonitor. These tools include the following features:
- An editor for producing newsletters
- The possibility of sending the newsletter directly through the program
- An analysis of the campaigns being carried out
- Recipient list administration
In addition, the abovementioned programs have an A/B testing function. With this, two different test versions of a newsletter (at least) can be sent to a pre-determined percentage of subscribers. Different criteria (KPIs such as the highest possible opening rate or the click-through rate of an embedded link) are set as targets, after which different versions are sent out. After analyzing the tracking results, the version that faired the best (regarding the pre-defined performance indicators) is chosen and then sent to the rest of the newsletter subscribers. A/B testing is a useful feature if the number of subscribers is significant enough to produce a good result. This method allows the newsletter to be quickly adapted to the preferences of a target group.
Every professional e-mail tracking program measures the click rate, delivery rate, unsubscribe rate, and opening rate of a newsletter (taking the bounce rate into account). In addition to these elementary tracking features, Newsletter2Go, CleverReach, and MailChimp also offer the following features:
- Click maps or heat maps to illustrate the data obtained
- Geo targeting for the localization and assignment of the recipients
- Support from Google Analytics
In addition, most e-mail marketing tracking programs have various other features that help with the analysis. Starting with simple functions, such as being able to automatically create print versions of an analysis, through to previewing newsletters on different sized (mobile) displays: depending on the application you are using, there are many options available for your newsletter analysis. A comparison of the best e-mail marketing software with more detailed information of the different functions can be found in this article.
Apart from specific e-mail marketing software, there are also tools and plugins for newsletter tracking. With Google Analytics you can easily see whether recipients have opened a newsletter. Some WordPress plugins, such as Tribulant Newsletters and SendPress Newsletters, are more extensive. MailChimp, Newsletter2Go, and other providers also offer specific extensions for WordPress.