Now that you’ve put in the work to start building your email list, it’s time to check in to see how your hard work is paying off.

Think back to what the original goal for your email list was. Was it to stay in touch with your clients? Promote content from your blog? Advertise a new product? Now think: are you reaching your goal?

Before you send another email, take the time to assess how your current email marketing is performing.

Learn from your metrics

Most email marketing platforms have free built-in analytics. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the numbers, there are a few key metrics you need to know that will tell you a lot about how your emails are performing.

• Open rate: how many people are opening your email.
• Click through rate: how many people who opened your email have clicked a link inside it.
• Conversion rate: how many people purchased a product or service from a link inside your email.
• Unsubscribe rate: how many people have unsubscribed from your email list.

In order to have a thriving email list, you need to pay attention to the metrics that show you how your list is performing.

You should also understand that the numbers are only one way to measure the success of your email list. These metrics don’t always give you a reason why someone unsubscribed from your list or why someone decided not to open your email.

If you want more information than what the metrics alone tell you, create a survey and engage directly with your subscribers to find out what they think about your list.

Improve as you go along

Don’t take low numbers or negative feedback personally. Be thankful for the feedback and use it to improve your email marketing.

Here are a few simple ways to improve your metrics:

• Include a call-to-action so your audience knows exactly what to do.
• Keep your email short and to the point.
• Write clear subject lines that make sense or people won’t open your email.
• Make sure your content is of value to your target audience.
• Personalize your email and use the language your ideal client uses.
• Preview and test your emails before you send them so you know they work correctly.
• Make your emails easy and enjoyable to read.

Celebrate your success.

Congratulations! You’ve figured out what works with your audience and what doesn’t. Now’s the time to give yourself a pat on the back and celebrate this milestone. Celebrating your success is a great way to boost your confidence and keep the momentum going.

Remember to experiment and have fun as you get to know your audience. Your email list is a work in progress so it’s okay to learn as you go.

Take the time to think about what you’ve learned and plan out your future actions. Continue to evaluate your results and start to consider what actions you can take to continue to improve your email marketing.