What is Forward Rate in Email Marketing?
The forward rate in
email marketing refers to the percentage of recipients who share your email with others by using the "forward" button. This is a crucial metric as it can significantly impact your campaign's reach and engagement.
Why is Forward Rate Important?
A high forward rate indicates that your content is valuable enough for recipients to share it with their network. This can lead to increased
brand awareness, a broader audience, and potentially more conversions. Essentially, it acts as a form of
word-of-mouth marketing in the digital space.
How to Calculate Forward Rate?
The forward rate is usually calculated by dividing the number of forwards by the total number of delivered emails, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. Forward Rate = (Number of Forwards / Number of Delivered Emails) * 100
This formula helps you understand the proportion of your audience that finds your content share-worthy.
Strategies to Improve Forward Rate
Create Shareable Content: Your content should be engaging, informative, and relevant. This increases the likelihood that recipients will share it with others.
Include a Clear Call-to-Action: Encourage your recipients to forward your email by including a
call-to-action that prompts them to share.
Use Social Proof: Including testimonials or
user-generated content can make your email more credible and shareable.
Segment Your Audience: Tailor your content to different segments to increase relevance and the likelihood of it being forwarded.
Tools to Track Forward Rate
Most
email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and HubSpot offer analytics tools that can track your forward rate. These platforms provide detailed reports that include forward rate as part of their engagement metrics.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Ignoring Mobile Optimization: Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly as a significant portion of users read emails on their smartphones.
Overloading with Information: Keep your emails concise and to the point. Overloading with too much information can deter recipients from forwarding.
Not Testing Subject Lines: Your
subject lines should be compelling enough to encourage opens and reads, which can lead to more forwards.
Case Studies
Many brands have successfully increased their forward rates through strategic planning. For instance, a well-known e-commerce retailer significantly increased their forward rate by incorporating user-generated content into their emails. This approach not only enhanced the
credibility of their emails but also encouraged recipients to share with their network.
Conclusion
Understanding and optimizing your forward rate can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. By focusing on creating valuable, shareable content and utilizing tools to track and analyze your performance, you can achieve higher engagement and broader reach.