What to Track in Cold Emails?
Alright, the campaigns are live, the excitement is high, but now you’re asking yourself, “What the heck do we track to know if we’re winning or just firing blanks?” Let’s break it down.
Open Rates 📬
Ah, the trusty open rate. Should you track it? Sure. Should you obsess over it? Nah.
Here’s the deal: open rates are good for checking if your emails are actually delivered and not chilling in spam folders. But they’re not the endgame metric for success. Plus, tracking open rates often relies on a sneaky little pixel. Ever noticed “EXTERNAL” tags in your subject lines? Yup, blame tracking pixels. And with more people moving toward plain text cold emails (because, deliverability), this metric’s not the MVP.
Reply Rates ✉️
Many outbound pros swear by reply rates. “Track replies, they said—it’ll be fun, they said.” But I beg to differ.
Sure, reply rates look all shiny until you realize it includes everything. Out-of-office replies? ✔️ Random “unsubscribe” emails? ✔️ Someone telling you to kindly buzz off? ✔️
That’s not really giving you a clear picture of success, is it?
So… What Should You Track? 🎯
Here’s where the magic happens:
Number of Appointments Set 🗓️
Because, let’s be real—appointments are what keep the sales engine running. If your emails aren’t filling your calendar, it’s time to rethink the game.Positive Reply Rate 🌟
This is the golden nugget: count only the replies that have potential. Think:“This sounds interesting, tell me more.”
“I’d like a demo.”
“Not ready yet, but keep me in the loop.”
Even the “How much does this cost?” emails—because hey, that’s interest!
Focusing on these two metrics will give you a much clearer idea of how well your outreach is resonating with prospects.
That’s it for today, folks! Now go track smart, not just more. See you in the next post. 🚀
