Marketing Mythbusters: Open Rates Are All That Matter — Or Are They?

Introduction: The Vanity Metric Trap

Open rates have long been the go-to KPI for email marketers. "What was the open rate?" is often the first question in campaign reviews. But in 2025, clinging to open rates as a primary success metric is not only outdated—it can be dangerously misleading. In this post, we’ll bust the myth that open rates matter most and explore what truly indicates email marketing success.

Part 1: What Open Rates Measure (and What They Don't)

Let’s get technical for a moment. Open rates are calculated based on whether a small, invisible tracking pixel in your email loads when the recipient opens it. But this is highly flawed for several reasons:

• Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), introduced in iOS 15 and now widespread, automatically preloads emails, potentially falsely inflating open rates.

• Blocked Images: Some email clients block images by default, meaning opens aren't tracked even if the email was read.

• Multiple Devices: An open on mobile may be tracked differently than one on a desktop.

In short, Open rates are estimates at best, and at worst, they can create a false sense of success.

Part 2: Why Marketers Still Obsess Over Open Rates

Open rates are seductive because they offer immediate feedback. You send an email, and within hours, you have numbers to report. But this appeal comes with a cost:

• They reward subject line clickbait

• They ignore what happens after the opening

• They can lead to bad optimization decisions

A 45% open rate looks amazing—until you realize your click-through rate was 0.4% and no conversions followed. Open rate success doesn't equal revenue.

Part 3: What You Should Be Tracking Instead

Here are five metrics that matter much more than open rate:

1. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

   • Indicates content engagement and CTA effectiveness.

2. Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)

   • Tells you how relevant the content is after the subject line has caught their attention.

3. Conversion Rate

   • Measures how many recipients took the intended action: a purchase, sign-up, etc.

4. Unsubscribe/Spam Complaints

   • Critical for understanding message fatigue or poor targeting.

5. Revenue per Email (RPE)

   • The ultimate bottom-line metric.

Part 4: The New Hierarchy of Metrics (Post-Privacy Era)

Metric	Importance	Why It Matters
Revenue per Email	★★★★★	Direct tie to business results
Conversion Rate	★★★★	Shows true campaign effectiveness
CTOR	★★★★	Combines subject line + content impact
CTR	★★★	Measures email content appeal
Open Rate	★	Rough directional feedback only

Part 5: How to Shift Your Team's Mindset

1. Retrain Stakeholders: Present open rate flaws. Use examples.

2. Align Goals with Conversions: Set KPIs around revenue or sign-ups.

3. Split-Test Intelligently: A/B test CTAs, layouts, and sequences—not just subject lines.

4. Use UTM Parameters: Track actions beyond the inbox.

5. Automate Reporting: Build dashboards that highlight valuable metrics first.

Part 6: Bonus - When Open Rates Still Matter

Open rates can still serve a purpose in very specific use cases:

• Re-engagement Campaigns: To gauge list activity levels

• Deliverability Checks: To catch inboxing issues

• Time-of-Day Tests: For high-level scheduling insights

Use them sparingly, and never in isolation.

Conclusion: Break Free from the Open Rate Illusion

Open rates are no longer reliable. As privacy evolves and consumer behavior shifts, marketers must measure what matters. Email marketing success isn't about opens—it's about outcomes.

Shift your mindset, your metrics, and your strategy. You'll build more innovative funnels, make better decisions, and ultimately drive more results.