Definition
Benchmarking involves: selecting relevant metrics to compare (open rate, CTR, conversion rate, bounce rate), identifying your peer group (same industry, similar list size, comparable geography), collecting your own performance data over a consistent period, comparing against published industry benchmarks (from Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, or industry reports), and identifying gaps. The goal is not to match averages but to understand where you have room to improve. Use benchmarks as directional guidance, not absolute targets — your specific audience and business model matter more than industry averages.
Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) is a metric that measures the average revenue generated per email subscriber over a specific period, used to evaluate list value and campaign effectiveness.
Attention Rate
Attention rate is the percentage of email opens that last longer than 5 seconds, distinguishing genuine reads from passive opens, preview-pane views, or Apple MPP auto-loads.
B2B Email Marketing
B2B email marketing targets business professionals and organisations with longer sales cycles, educational content, and relationship-driven campaigns compared to B2C email.
B2C Email Marketing
B2C email marketing focuses on sending targeted promotional and transactional emails to individual consumers, emphasising personalisation, urgency, and direct response.