Definition
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework that helps email marketing teams align their work with broader organisational priorities. An Objective is a qualitative, inspirational statement of what the team wants to achieve. Key Results are quantitative, measurable outcomes that indicate progress toward the Objective. Each Key Result must be specific, time-bound, and verifiable by a clear metric. For email marketing, OKRs typically span engagement, revenue, deliverability, list health, and operational efficiency.
Leading indicators for email OKRs are predictive metrics that signal future performance, such as open rate, click-through rate, and list growth rate. Lagging indicators are outcome metrics that reflect past performance, such as email-driven revenue, return on investment, and customer lifetime value. A balanced email OKR set includes both types. For example, an Objective to improve subscriber engagement might include Key Results for increasing CTR by 15 per cent (leading) and reducing churn rate by 10 per cent (lagging). OKRs are typically set quarterly and reviewed weekly with progress tracked as a percentage of completion.
Best Practices
Limit each Objective to no more than three to five Key Results. Too many Key Results dilute focus and make it difficult to prioritise. Each Key Result should be ambitious but achievable — a 70 per cent completion rate is considered success for well-set OKRs.
Ensure each Key Result is directly controllable by the email team. Avoid Key Results that depend heavily on factors outside the team's influence, such as overall company revenue. Instead, use Key Results like email-attributed revenue per subscriber or conversion rate from email campaigns.
Align email OKRs with the company's quarterly and annual objectives. If the company objective is to increase customer retention, email OKRs should focus on retention-oriented metrics such as reactivation rate, churn reduction, or repeat purchase rate from email campaigns.
Track Key Results weekly with a simple traffic-light status system. Green indicates on track, yellow indicates at risk, and red indicates behind. Weekly check-ins keep OKRs top of mind and allow the team to adjust tactics when progress stalls.
Review and reset OKRs every quarter. What worked last quarter may not be the right focus this quarter. Use the previous quarter's results and learnings to inform the next set of Objectives and Key Results. Avoid carrying over incomplete Key Results without re-evaluating their relevance.
Related Glossary Terms
Control Group
Control or holdout group testing withholds a random subscriber segment from a campaign to measure incremental lift in engagement, revenue, and conversion.
Email Campaign
Email campaign management encompasses planning, building, testing, sending, analysing, and optimising targeted email communications to achieve marketing objectives.
Email Content
The strategic planning, creation, and curation of email copy and assets across educational, promotional, transactional, and user-generated types.
Email Lifecycle
Email lifecycle marketing uses automated, behavior-triggered emails that align with each stage of the customer journey.
Email List
Email list types include owned house lists (highest engagement), rented third-party lists, co-registration lists, and purchased lists which carry significant deliverability risks.
Email Maturity
Email marketing maturity model describing five stages from initial basic sends to AI-optimised personalisation. Assessment criteria for each stage guide improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
OKRs are goal-setting targets tied to specific Objectives over a defined period, usually a quarter. KPIs are ongoing health metrics that measure performance continuously. An OKR might target increasing CTR by 15 per cent this quarter. CTR itself is a KPI that is always monitored. OKRs change; KPIs persist.
Every Key Result must have a clear, unambiguous measurement. Avoid Key Results like improve email quality or send better campaigns. Use specific metrics with baseline values and targets. A well-formed Key Result is increase click-through rate from 3.2 per cent to 3.7 per cent by end of Q2.
Missing OKRs is acceptable and expected if they were set ambitiously. The standard is 70 per cent completion. The key is to learn why the target was missed and apply those insights. Missing every OKR repeatedly may indicate that Objectives are not well-aligned or that resources are insufficient.
Not every campaign needs its own OKR. OKRs operate at the programme or team level over a quarter. Individual campaigns contribute to Key Results but are not governed by separate OKRs. Campaign-level goals should align with the quarterly OKRs.
Leading indicators predict future results and are actionable early. Lagging indicators confirm outcomes after they occur. In an email context, open rate and CTR are leading indicators of engagement, while revenue and LTV are lagging. A balanced OKR set uses leading indicators to drive actions and lagging indicators to measure impact.