Why Are My HubSpot Open Rates Lower Than They Were in My Other Email Tool?

If you've recently made the switch to HubSpot from MailChimp, Constant Contact or another platform, you may have noticed a dip in your email open rates. It's a trend we've observed on multiple occasions, and though it might seem alarming at first, there is no cause for alarm. In this post, we'll break down the factors impacting email delivery and open rate metrics and show you why this drop doesn't necessarily reflect an actual decline in email open and delivery rates.

The "Fresh Start" Effect

One of the main reasons behind the discrepancy in open rates is how HubSpot manages contact engagement. Your previous email platform has  likely been suppressing certain contacts who might not have been engaged, who bounced, or who were otherwise deemed poor quality for a myriad of reasons. When you add those contacts into HubSpot they don’t bring that history of redflags with them and HubSpot will attempt to send them to everyone you’ve added. If you have a large, older list you’ll likely find your initial email sends with HubSpot have higher bounce rates, spam submissions, and unsubscribes because you’re re-engaging with contacts who haven’t heard from you for a long time and weren’t expecting it.  

While this can initially result in lower open rates, HubSpot will suppress bounces, unsubscribes, spam requests and non-engaged contacts over time as it learns more about the behavior of your list. As this happens, your open rates will begin to recover and look more reflective of what you had before.

The Influence of Apple's Privacy Policy

There are also external factors influencing your email open rates. A major one is Apple's Mail Privacy Protection & Privacy. Apple's privacy feature blocks email opens from being tracked, which leads to a significant decrease in reported open rates.

It’s likely not the case that 74% of your audience is using Gmail. It’s more likely the case that Apple Mail and other email clients are under-reporting open rates.

If you look closely at your reports, you may notice that some contacts have zero opens but still have clicks. This discrepancy is due to the fact that while the open might not be recorded, the user still interacted with the content. As a result, your true open rates are likely under-reported, especially if you have a high number of Apple users in your database.

The Role of Bots in Your Old Platform's Metrics

Many email platforms count bot opens as legitimate interactions, which can inflate your open rates. HubSpot, however, filters out bot activity from its reports, which leads to more accurate data but can make your open rates appear lower at first.

Be Wary of Cross-Platform Comparisons

While it's natural to want to compare your HubSpot open rates to those of your old platform, this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. The differences in data collection, email delivery practices, and tracking methods can make it seem like your performance has dipped when, in fact, you're just seeing more accurate metrics. 

As HubSpot continues to optimize its engagement tracking, you'll likely see your open rates stabilize and align more closely with your audience's actual behavior.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Open Rates

If you're concerned about your open rates or want to improve engagement, here are a few steps to take:

• Clean up your email list: Regularly scrub your list to remove inactive or irrelevant contacts. HubSpot's data-driven system will help automate some of this, but it's a good idea to review your list periodically. Using workflows to overwrite main email addresses is also a great way to keep your data clean.
• Segment your audience: Tailor your campaigns to different segments of your list for more targeted messaging. This will increase the likelihood of opens and clicks.
• Monitor engagement patterns: Keep an eye on which segments are opening your emails and which aren't. This will give you insights into what's resonating with your audience.
• A/B test your subject lines: A compelling subject line can make all the difference in getting your emails opened. Use HubSpot's A/B testing features to experiment with different approaches.

Email Fatigue: Is Your Audience Getting Too Many Emails?

Another factor to consider is whether your audience is experiencing email fatigue. If your contacts are receiving too many emails from you (or from other brands), they may stop opening your emails altogether. To combat email fatigue, here’s a few tips amongst many:

• Space out your campaigns: Avoid bombarding your list with too many emails in a short period of time.
• Personalize your messages: Make sure the emails you're sending are relevant and personalized to the recipient's interests and behaviors.
• Offer value: Ensure that every email provides something valuable to the reader. Whether it's a special offer, helpful content, or important updates, make sure your emails are worth opening.

Seasonality and Industry Trends

It’s also worth considering external factors like seasonality or shifts in industry trends. Depending on the time of year or current events, your audience’s behavior may change, which could affect open rates. For example, open rates often dip during holidays when people are out of the office or less engaged with emails. 

Similarly, shifts in market trends or the competitive landscape can impact how people interact with your emails. Keep an eye on industry-wide trends and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Analyzing Click-Through Rates: A Deeper Look into Engagement

Although open rates are an important metric, they don’t tell the full story. Click-through rates (CTR) are just as important, and in many cases, a higher CTR can be a better indicator of success than open rates alone. Focus on:

• The quality of your content: Make sure your email content is valuable and compelling enough to drive clicks.
• Clear and engaging CTAs: Your calls-to-action (CTAs) should be easy to find and encourage users to click through to your website or landing pages. For example, adding an “add this event to your calendar” CTA for those who have RSVPd to an event (within an automated-reply email) is a great way to keep your audience engaged.
• Post-click behavior: Once someone clicks, what actions do they take on your site? Tracking this data can provide insights into how well your emails are performing in driving conversions.

Conclusion: It’s All Part of the Process

While a drop in open rates can be a bit unsettling, it’s important to remember that these changes are normal and actually indicate that HubSpot is refining its data collection process. By understanding the factors behind the numbers, you'll be better equipped to optimize your strategy and improve your email performance over time.

If you’re interested in learning more, contact us at CRO:NYX Digital. We're here to help you navigate HubSpot's email tools and optimize your email campaigns.