Share Rate - Email Marketing

What is Share Rate?

Share rate, also known as email forwarding rate, measures the percentage of recipients who share your email content with others. This is typically done through forwarding the email to friends or sharing it on social media platforms. The share rate is a critical metric in gauging the virality and engagement levels of your email campaigns.

How is Share Rate Calculated?

The share rate is calculated by dividing the number of shares or forwards by the total number of delivered emails, then multiplying the result by 100 to get a percentage. The formula is:
Share Rate (%) = (Number of Shares / Number of Delivered Emails) * 100

Why is Share Rate Important?

The share rate provides insight into how compelling and valuable your email content is to your audience. A high share rate indicates that recipients find your content worth sharing, which can help in expanding your reach and attracting new subscribers. It also reflects the effectiveness of your content strategy and can lead to increased brand awareness.

How to Improve Share Rate?

Improving your share rate involves a combination of strategies aimed at making your content more shareable. Here are some tips:

Create High-Quality Content: Ensure your emails contain valuable, informative, and engaging content that your audience would want to share.
Use 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 share your email with their network.
Segment Your Audience: Tailor your content to specific segments of your audience to increase relevance and shareability.
Offer Incentives: Provide incentives for sharing your emails, such as discounts or exclusive content.

What Tools Can Help Measure Share Rate?

Several email marketing tools and platforms offer analytics to measure share rate. Some popular options include:

Mailchimp: Provides detailed reports on email performance, including share rate.
Campaign Monitor: Offers analytics and tracking features to monitor sharing activity.
Constant Contact: Includes metrics for tracking email forwards and social media shares.
GetResponse: Allows you to track sharing metrics alongside other engagement metrics.

Case Studies: Successful Share Rate Strategies

Several brands have successfully utilized share rate strategies to enhance their email marketing campaigns. For instance, a popular ecommerce brand increased its share rate by incorporating user-generated content and customer testimonials in their emails. Another example is a non-profit organization that saw a significant boost in share rate by creating emotionally compelling stories and clear CTAs for sharing.

Conclusion

Share rate is a crucial metric in email marketing that reflects the shareability and impact of your content. By understanding and optimizing this metric, you can enhance your reach, engage your audience more effectively, and ultimately achieve your marketing goals.