Email Metrics in Email Performance Report vs. Smart Lists
In the dynamic world of email marketing, there's a challenge that often perplexes Marketo experts: the difference between the Email Performance Report and Smart Lists. My experience with this disparity dates back years, analyzing the limited success of a webinar invitation campaign.
Before diving in, let's quickly clarify the tools at play:
1. Smart List in Marketo is a powerful tool that allows users to create dynamic and segmented lists based on various criteria, called filters.
2. Email Performance Report provides detailed information about your campaign's performance, including open rates, clicks, conversions, and bounce metrics
The Mysterious "Invisible Open"
One complexity contributing to the discrepancy is the possibility of recipients clicking links without triggering open events.Relying on a tracking pixel for opens introduces the chance that users interact with an email, click links, and still go unnoticed in open counts, especially when email clients like Outlook disable image downloads by default.
Understanding participation metrics in each analysis tool is key here. Email Performance Reports automatically adjust for opens, recognizing that a click implies an open. Smart Lists lack this adjustment, leading to discrepancies in open counts.
Solution: Add those who clicked but didn't open the email to your Smart Lists for a more accurate count of opens.
Inconsistencies in Click Numbers
A common issue in Email Performance Reports is not considering the origin of clicks, such as footer links for unsubscribing. Some links may not be relevant to the metrics.
In this case, Smart Lists offer a clearer and more precise solution by allowing the addition of the exact link address, providing real metrics on interest in specific areas of the email.
Solution: Use Smart Lists for clear and precise metrics on specific areas of interest. We can add the exact link address to have a real metric of how many people clicked on the relevant part of the email.
Refining Delivered Counts for Greater Accuracy
Another discrepancy lies in how bounces are handled. While the report automatically excludes bounced emails from the delivered count, Smart Lists do not apply this adjustment. For an accurate Smart List, bounces and soft bounces must be proactively excluded, ensuring consistency in delivered counts.
Solution: Proactively exclude bounces and soft bounces in Smart Lists to align counts with reports.
Unsubscribe Invisible
Configuring our Smart List precisely to measure the number of people who have opted out can result in variable metrics. This is due to various reasons. Some email platforms, like Gmail, offer the option to unsubscribe without interacting within the email, which won't be reflected in Marketo's activity log, such as clicking the unsubscribe link or completing a form.
In contrast, Email Performance Reports offer a more specific metric, counting the number of people who have registered an unsubscribe, regardless of whether it was direct or they completed a form. This discrepancy emphasizes the importance of understanding the nuances of how different actions are recorded on different platforms.
Solution: Adjust your Smart Lists to reflect these variations, considering actions beyond clicks and forms, and compare with report metrics for a more complete picture of unsubscribe behavior.
Understanding the meaning of metrics is crucial.
Understanding the discrepancies between the Email Performance Report and Smart Lists empowers us to refine our analytical approaches, gaining more accurate insights into the performance of email campaigns. This simplifies the assessment of our campaigns' success and improves our understanding of the customer and their needs.
Need help with other metrics? At Kapturall, we're always ready to assist and learn with you. Contact us.
Eduardo Baquedano
Senior Marketing Consultant in Kapturall
Eduardo kicked off his career in sustainable mobility at SEAT before pivoting to become a marketing automation consultant, earning X2 Marketo Certification along the way. He now heads Marketing at Kapturall, where he's broadened his expertise in Marketing and Sales. Beyond work, his passion for climbing mirrors his love for challenges, showcasing his relentless pursuit of personal and professional growth.