What is Forwarding Rate in Email Marketing?
The
forwarding rate, also known as the email share rate, is a crucial metric in email marketing. It measures the percentage of recipients who forward your email to others. This metric helps marketers understand how engaging and shareable their content is, as well as the potential for organic growth through word-of-mouth.
Why is Forwarding Rate Important?
Forwarding rate is important for several reasons: Organic Reach: A high forwarding rate indicates that your content is compelling enough to be shared, increasing your
organic reach without additional costs.
Engagement: It signifies high
engagement levels, as recipients find the content valuable enough to share with their network.
Brand Awareness: Forwarded emails can introduce your
brand to new audiences, enhancing brand awareness.
Trust and Credibility: When someone forwards your email, it serves as an endorsement, thereby enhancing your credibility.
How to Calculate Forwarding Rate?
The forwarding rate is calculated using the formula:
Forwarding Rate (%) = (Number of Forwards / Number of Delivered Emails) * 100
For example, if 50 out of 1,000 delivered emails are forwarded, the forwarding rate would be 5%.
What is a Good Forwarding Rate?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as a "good" forwarding rate can vary by industry and campaign type. However, a forwarding rate between 0.1% and 0.5% is generally considered average. Rates above 0.5% are viewed as excellent and indicative of highly shareable content.
Strategies to Improve Forwarding Rate
Here are several strategies to improve your forwarding rate: Create Engaging Content: High-quality, valuable content is more likely to be shared. Focus on providing
useful information, entertaining stories, or exclusive offers.
Incorporate Social Sharing Buttons: Make it easy for recipients to share your email by including
social sharing buttons.
Encourage Sharing: Include a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages recipients to forward the email to friends or colleagues.
Personalization: Personalized content can resonate more with recipients, increasing the likelihood of sharing. Use
personalization techniques to tailor your emails.
Segment Your Audience: Tailor your emails to specific segments of your audience to ensure the content is relevant and engaging for each group.
Challenges in Measuring Forwarding Rate
Measuring forwarding rate comes with its challenges: Tracking: Not all email service providers offer accurate
tracking of forwarded emails.
Privacy: Privacy regulations may limit the ability to track email forwards accurately.
Manual Forwards: If recipients manually forward the email (instead of using a built-in forward button), it may not be tracked.
Tools for Measuring Forwarding Rate
Several tools can help you measure your forwarding rate: Email Service Providers (ESPs): Most
ESPs like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and HubSpot offer built-in analytics to track forwarding rates.
Google Analytics: Integrating Google Analytics with your email campaigns can provide additional insights into forwarding behaviors.
Third-Party Tools: Tools like Litmus and Campaign Monitor offer advanced analytics for more detailed tracking.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the forwarding rate is a valuable metric that provides insights into the shareability and engagement of your email content. By understanding and optimizing this metric, you can enhance your email marketing efforts and achieve better organic growth. Use the strategies and tools mentioned above to measure and improve your forwarding rate effectively.