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Email Deliverability
Industry Benchmarks for 7 Key Measurements
Table of Contents
Page 3 Introduction
Page 4
Page 6
Read Rate
Page 8
Page 10
Reply Rate
Page 12
Forward Rate
Page 14
Complaint Rate
Page 16
Page 18
Methodology
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Introduction
It goes without saying that todays email marketer needs to
make data-driven decisions to be successful. List size, open
rate, and click-through rate are just a sample of metrics that
email marketers track to measure success. But did you know
there are hidden engagement metrics that mailbox providers
use to determine whether an email campaign should be sent
to spam?
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Factors
The same elements that block you from the inbox will land you in the spam folder. The reasons can be content based (content triggers that flag
emails as spam), reputation based (sending patterns and behaviors), or engagement based (subscriber behaviors). Since engagement based
metrics are the focus of this report, well take a deep dive into some of these in the pages to come.
Significance
Spam placement rate is valuable in understanding how mailbox providers and their spam filters classify your emails. A low spam
placement rate signifies youre a trusted sender, and your emails are desired. A sudden increase in spam placement could indicate an
issue with a specific campaign, or your entire email program. To learn more about what prevents your emails from reaching the inbox,
download our Ultimate Guide to Deliverability.
Observations
In nearly every quarter in 2015, automotive, B2B, insurance, and social and dating companies underperformed other industries with spam
placement rates ranging between 16 and 36%. Companies in the apparel, household goods, child and baby products, office supplies, pet
products, craft and hobbies, travel, and utility industries were able to maintain a 10% or lower spam placement rate throughout the year.
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Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Annual
ALL
11%
12%
12%
13%
12%
5%
6%
6%
8%
6%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
22%
28%
36%
26%
29%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
9%
8%
7%
10%
8%
Business/Marketing
24%
24%
20%
16%
22%
Computers/Electronics
13%
7%
7%
8%
9%
9%
9%
11%
14%
10%
Apparel/Accessories
9%
16%
7%
13%
11%
Education/NonProfit/Government
14%
16%
16%
18%
16%
Flowers/Gifts
10%
8%
8%
10%
9%
Food/Drug
12%
11%
11%
10%
11%
General Merchandise
7%
6%
7%
10%
7%
Health/Beauty
7%
8%
10%
12%
9%
Household/Home Improvement
4%
4%
5%
7%
5%
Insurance
29%
25%
21%
28%
26%
Jobs
15%
15%
17%
19%
16%
4%
4%
4%
8%
5%
12%
13%
13%
15%
13%
Office Supplies
5%
5%
6%
7%
6%
Pets
3%
3%
4%
6%
4%
12%
9%
9%
12%
10%
9%
10%
9%
8%
9%
20%
19%
21%
19%
20%
6%
12%
6%
9%
8%
Technology/Software/Internet
11%
28%
29%
17%
22%
Real Estate
Service
Social/Dating
Sporting Goods
Telecommunication
21%
18%
29%
32%
24%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
7%
6%
6%
8%
6%
Travel
8%
5%
5%
6%
6%
Utilities
0%
3%
1%
5%
2%
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Read Rate
The read rate is calculated as the number of emails marked as read out of all emails sent. Read rate
is similar to open rate, but is far more accurate because it accounts for all emails viewed, regardless of
image rendering.
Factors
Various factors can have an impact on read rate. The quality of your subject lines and timing typically have the greatest
influence, but deliverability issues can also be the culprit behind a sudden decline in emails being read.
Significance
By monitoring read rate, you can tell a winning campaign from a dud. Read rate also has an effect on your deliverability, as
poor engagement has a significant impact on how mailbox providers deliver your email. If your read rates are consistently
low, mailbox providers will begin to view your email as unwanted and start delivering your messages to the spam folder.
Observations
Not surprisingly, industries that consumers hold accounts with (banking, insurance, utilities, telecommunications, service)
maintained high read rates throughout the year. Meanwhile, social and dating, B2B, and nonprofit industries fell below the
average read rate.
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Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Annual
ALL
14%
14%
14%
13%
14%
Apparel/Accessories
16%
16%
15%
14%
16%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
16%
15%
13%
14%
15%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
24%
24%
23%
22%
24%
9%
9%
9%
9%
9%
Business/Marketing
Computers/Electronics
17%
19%
19%
18%
18%
13%
12%
12%
12%
12%
Distribution/Manufacturing
28%
29%
35%
36%
32%
Education/NonProfit/Government
11%
11%
11%
10%
11%
Flowers/Gifts
17%
17%
17%
15%
17%
Food/Drug
14%
14%
14%
13%
14%
General Merchandise
16%
17%
17%
16%
16%
Health/Beauty
14%
14%
14%
12%
14%
Household/Home Improvement
17%
17%
17%
16%
17%
Insurance
23%
25%
26%
23%
24%
Jobs
12%
12%
12%
12%
12%
16%
17%
16%
13%
16%
Media/Entertainment
12%
12%
12%
11%
12%
Office Supplies
19%
19%
18%
16%
18%
Pets
17%
16%
16%
14%
16%
Real Estate
15%
16%
16%
14%
15%
Service
21%
20%
21%
19%
20%
9%
9%
9%
10%
9%
Sporting Goods
Social/Dating
19%
17%
19%
16%
18%
Technology/Software/Internet
13%
10%
9%
11%
11%
Telecommunication
29%
27%
23%
21%
26%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
14%
15%
15%
14%
14%
Travel
15%
15%
16%
15%
15%
Utilities
53%
43%
52%
38%
47%
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Factors
An unread email sent to the trash may signal a disinterested subscriber. A high deleted before reading rate is a sign of a failed
campaign. But a consistently high deleted without reading rate is an indication of permission issues or a lack of satisfaction
with your overall email.
Significance
From a marketing perspective, an open or read is the first step in getting the desired action from a subscriber. From the
mailbox provider perspective, the read rate is an important metric to determine your inbox desirability which can impact
your inbox deliverability. A high deleted before reading rate, therefore, can indicate low desire for your emails, and can result
in future emails being filtered to the spam folder.
Observations
In line with their high read rate, companies in the insurance, utilities, and telecommunications industries received a low
deleted before reading rate. Surprisingly, social and dating companies managed a low deleted before reading rate, despite
their below average read rate. Pet products, office supplies, and flower and gift companies had the worst deleted before
reading rates in 2015, well above the 9% average.
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Q1
Q2
9%
Apparel/Accessories
10%
9%
10%
Q3
9%
10%
Q4
9%
10%
Annual
9%
10%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
10%
9%
8%
9%
9%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
7%
7%
8%
8%
7%
Business/Marketing
8%
8%
8%
8%
8%
10%
11%
10%
10%
10%
Computers/Electronics
9%
9%
9%
9%
9%
Distribution/Manufacturing
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
Education/NonProfit/Government
8%
8%
8%
7%
8%
13%
13%
13%
13%
13%
Flowers/Gifts
Food/Drug
10%
10%
10%
11%
10%
General Merchandise
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
Health/Beauty
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
Household/Home Improvement
12%
11%
11%
12%
11%
6%
6%
6%
6%
6%
Insurance
Jobs
Kids and Babies
Media/Entertainment
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
11%
11%
11%
11%
11%
8%
8%
8%
8%
8%
Office Supplies
14%
14%
14%
13%
14%
Pets
14%
13%
13%
13%
13%
Real Estate
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
Service
7%
8%
8%
8%
8%
Social/Dating
Sporting Goods
Technology/Software/Internet
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
12%
11%
12%
12%
12%
7%
5%
5%
6%
6%
Telecommunication
6%
7%
6%
6%
6%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
10%
10%
9%
9%
9%
Travel
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
7%
6%
4%
5%
6%
Utilities
The Hidden Metrics of Email Deliverability
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Reply Rate
The reply rate is calculated as the number of replies to your email out of the total of email sent.
Factors
A high reply rate could mean one of two things: an engaged subscriber list or subscribers trying to unsubscribe. Truthfully,
there isnt a target reply rate your email marketing program should try to achieve. Having a low (or no) reply rate wont
necessarily hurt your deliverability, but having a high reply rate can help.
Significance
A reply to an email message is a very strong positive signal of engagement showing mailbox providers that a message was
likely desired, and improves the senders chance of being delivered to the inbox for any future campaigns sent to a particular
subscriber.
Observations
Similar to read rate, industries that saw the highest reply rates were insurance, service, telecommunications, and utility
industries. We dont suggest email marketers try anything gimmicky to increase their reply rate, but it does make the case to
stop using noreply@ as the from: addresses.
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Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Annual
ALL
0.05%
0.05%
0.05%
0.05%
0.05%
Apparel/Accessories
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
0.08%
0.08%
0.07%
0.08%
0.08%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
0.16%
0.16%
0.15%
0.15%
0.15%
Business/Marketing
0.01%
0.01%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
Computers/Electronics
0.09%
0.09%
0.09%
0.08%
0.09%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Distribution/Manufacturing
0.23%
0.27%
0.32%
0.27%
0.27%
Education/NonProfit/Government
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
Flowers/Gifts
0.08%
0.07%
0.08%
0.07%
0.07%
Food/Drug
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
General Merchandise
0.05%
0.05%
0.06%
0.06%
0.05%
Health/Beauty
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.03%
0.02%
Household/Home Improvement
0.06%
0.06%
0.05%
0.05%
0.06%
Insurance
0.83%
0.97%
1.01%
0.80%
0.92%
Jobs
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.02%
0.01%
Media/Entertainment
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.03%
0.02%
Office Supplies
0.10%
0.10%
0.09%
0.09%
0.10%
Pets
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.02%
0.01%
Real Estate
0.09%
0.09%
0.09%
0.08%
0.09%
Service
0.67%
0.57%
0.56%
0.48%
0.57%
Social/Dating
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Sporting Goods
0.06%
0.05%
0.05%
0.04%
0.05%
Technology/Software/Internet
0.12%
0.10%
0.11%
0.12%
0.11%
Telecommunication
1.63%
1.60%
1.36%
1.28%
1.49%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Travel
0.05%
0.06%
0.06%
0.09%
0.06%
Utilities
0.48%
0.76%
0.30%
0.45%
0.52%
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Forward Rate
Forward rate is calculated as the number of your emails that are forwarded on to others out of total emails sent.
Factors
Forwards are generated when subscribers find an email interesting enough that they want to pass on to others.
Significance
A high forward rate shows strong subscriber engagement and indicates the content youre sending is relevant to not only
your subscribers, but also their networks.
Observations
Insurance, telecommunication, and utility industries once again lead the pack with the highest forward rates in 2015.
Theres probably no secret marketing trick theyre following to achieve such high rates. These industries rely on email for
important things like invoices and announcements that often need to be shared with others.
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Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Annual
ALL
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.02%
Apparel/Accessories
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
0.05%
0.04%
0.04%
0.02%
0.04%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
0.08%
0.07%
0.07%
0.04%
0.07%
Business/Marketing
0.00%
0.01%
0.01%
0.00%
0.00%
Computers/Electronics
0.04%
0.04%
0.04%
0.02%
0.03%
0.01%
0.01%
0.00%
0.00%
0.01%
Distribution/Manufacturing
0.16%
0.17%
0.22%
0.11%
0.17%
Education/NonProfit/Government
0.02%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Flowers/Gifts
0.03%
0.03%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
Food/Drug
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.02%
General Merchandise
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.02%
0.03%
Health/Beauty
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Household/Home Improvement
0.03%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
Insurance
0.20%
0.22%
0.22%
0.12%
0.20%
Jobs
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.02%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.02%
Media/Entertainment
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Office Supplies
0.05%
0.04%
0.04%
0.03%
0.04%
Pets
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Real Estate
0.05%
0.05%
0.04%
0.02%
0.05%
Service
0.12%
0.10%
0.10%
0.05%
0.10%
Social/Dating
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
Sporting Goods
0.03%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.02%
Technology/Software/Internet
0.03%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.02%
Telecommunication
0.39%
0.30%
0.24%
0.16%
0.29%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Travel
0.10%
0.09%
0.09%
0.06%
0.09%
Utilities
0.36%
0.30%
1.08%
0.00%
0.47%
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Complaint Rate
Your complaint rate is the rate at which subscribers report your messages as spam. It is calculated as the
number of report spam/junk complaints out of emails sent.
Factors
There are various reasons why a subscriber would mark your messages as spam. The key to finding out why they happen is
uncovering where they occur. For more information about why complaints occur at different stages of an email relationship,
download the Marketers Guide to Subscriber Complaints.
Significance
Spam complaints are a direct signal from subscribers to mailbox providers that your content is unwanted. As such, mailbox
providers heavily factor spam complaints into their filtering decisions. Last year, the complaint rate had a significant impact on
deliverability as 21% of deliverability issues were caused by high spam complaints.
Observations
Complaint rates for all industries at the beginning of the year were relatively low. However, many industries saw a spike
in complaints during the holiday season. The complaint rate topped out at more than 1% for the banking, manufacturing,
gifts, food and drug, health and beauty, child and baby products, media, and sporting goods industries. While a rise in
complaints is normal for the fourth quarter, it also demonstrates that subscribers dont always tolerate an increase in the
frequency of email promotions. In 2016, successful email marketers will overcome this challenge through personalized
frequency profiles.
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Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Annual
ALL
0.050%
0.158%
0.342%
0.760%
0.18%
Apparel/Accessories
0.049%
0.110%
0.295%
0.879%
0.18%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
0.199%
0.167%
0.189%
0.613%
0.23%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
0.032%
0.173%
0.086%
1.276%
0.21%
Business/Marketing
0.055%
0.201%
1.486%
0.438%
0.24%
Computers/Electronics
0.111%
0.133%
0.434%
0.698%
0.19%
0.037%
0.126%
0.266%
0.372%
0.11%
Distribution/Manufacturing
0.093%
0.663%
0.009%
1.605%
0.64%
Education/NonProfit/Government
0.024%
0.115%
0.253%
0.984%
0.29%
Flowers/Gifts
0.067%
0.122%
0.217%
1.164%
0.24%
Food/Drug
0.053%
0.346%
0.953%
1.503%
0.35%
General Merchandise
0.016%
0.037%
0.021%
0.226%
0.05%
Health/Beauty
0.076%
0.217%
1.090%
1.062%
0.28%
Household/Home Improvement
0.038%
0.091%
0.128%
0.982%
0.15%
Insurance
0.039%
0.186%
0.127%
0.465%
0.13%
Jobs
0.021%
0.362%
0.155%
0.497%
0.16%
0.042%
0.159%
0.089%
1.156%
0.20%
Media/Entertainment
0.045%
0.223%
0.394%
1.078%
0.25%
Office Supplies
0.090%
0.178%
0.215%
0.914%
0.20%
Pets
0.010%
0.055%
0.137%
0.506%
0.09%
Real Estate
0.012%
0.050%
0.189%
0.922%
0.15%
Service
0.044%
0.141%
0.340%
0.924%
0.23%
Social/Dating
0.021%
0.052%
0.044%
0.250%
0.05%
Sporting Goods
0.045%
0.103%
0.133%
1.757%
0.28%
Technology/Software/Internet
0.050%
0.121%
0.163%
0.753%
0.17%
Telecommunication
1.635%
0.449%
0.457%
0.344%
0.98%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
0.081%
0.163%
0.208%
0.884%
0.31%
Travel
0.023%
0.061%
0.241%
0.555%
0.10%
Utilities
0.000%
0.000%
0.000%
0.000%
0.00%
15
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Factors
There are a number of reasons for a low this is not spam rate. Only email that lands in the spam folder can generate a this
not spam vote; therefore, a low this is not spam rate may not be a problem at all and could indicate that few of your emails
are being sent to the spam folder. But if you have a high percentage of mail being sent to spam and your this is not spam rate
is still low, the causes could be a lack of permission, lack of awareness, or simply a lack of interest from your subscribers.
Significance
The this is not spam metric is a strong and positive indicator to mailbox providers that your emails are desired. More
importantly, it indicates a false positive with the spam filter.
Observations
Similar to the complaint rate, the fourth quarter saw an increase in this is not spam votes as people became more active in
the inbox during the holiday season. Contrary to their high complaint rate, manufacturing and gifts brands also experienced
a high this is not spam rate, as did deals, household goods, insurance, office supplies, pet products, social and dating, and
telecommunications companies. This disparity between complaint and this is not spam rates could indicate that a one size
fits all approach to email campaigns isnt working, and shows a need for better segmentation and personalized content.
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Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Annual
ALL
0.012%
0.045%
0.057%
0.088%
0.03%
Apparel/Accessories
0.011%
0.040%
0.056%
0.094%
0.03%
Automotive Parts/Accessories
0.008%
0.021%
0.037%
0.060%
0.02%
Banking/Financial/Credit Cards
0.012%
0.032%
0.046%
0.087%
0.03%
Business/Marketing
0.010%
0.042%
0.060%
0.087%
0.04%
Computers/Electronics
0.028%
0.038%
0.056%
0.086%
0.03%
0.018%
0.063%
0.103%
0.114%
0.04%
Distribution/Manufacturing
0.014%
0.039%
0.009%
0.120%
0.05%
Education/NonProfit/Government
0.009%
0.039%
0.041%
0.076%
0.04%
Flowers/Gifts
0.012%
0.046%
0.065%
0.119%
0.04%
Food/Drug
0.010%
0.036%
0.035%
0.066%
0.02%
General Merchandise
0.010%
0.036%
0.043%
0.078%
0.02%
Health/Beauty
0.011%
0.040%
0.047%
0.095%
0.03%
Household/Home Improvement
0.012%
0.042%
0.062%
0.112%
0.03%
Insurance
0.032%
0.154%
0.073%
0.328%
0.10%
Jobs
0.013%
0.046%
0.049%
0.091%
0.03%
0.008%
0.023%
0.046%
0.059%
0.02%
Media/Entertainment
0.012%
0.047%
0.036%
0.085%
0.03%
Office Supplies
0.013%
0.039%
0.015%
0.100%
0.03%
Pets
0.011%
0.045%
0.029%
0.120%
0.03%
Real Estate
0.007%
0.034%
0.023%
0.075%
0.03%
Service
0.013%
0.049%
0.047%
0.074%
0.03%
Social/Dating
0.017%
0.065%
0.106%
0.100%
0.04%
Sporting Goods
0.011%
0.070%
0.027%
0.097%
0.04%
Technology/Software/Internet
0.013%
0.049%
0.058%
0.051%
0.03%
Telecommunication
0.026%
0.087%
0.059%
0.162%
0.05%
Toys/Hobbies/Crafts
0.008%
0.023%
0.069%
0.073%
0.03%
Travel
0.007%
0.026%
0.043%
0.077%
0.02%
Utilities
0.000%
0.000%
0.000%
0.000%
0.00%
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returnpath.com
Methodology
Return Path conducted this study using global consumer data captured from the Data Cloud.
These metrics are calculated based on the activity of over 2.5 million consumer panelists and over
3.5 billion commercial email messages received between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.
Defining consumer data:
Information captured from monitored email accounts controlled by real subscribers to sample
user-initiated and engagement based filtering decisions by mailbox providers. Consumer data can
uncover behavior-based factors and thresholds that influence inbox placement at large mailbox
providers, and cant be identified by non-interactive seeds.
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returnpath.com
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