How to monitor metrics in Klaviyo (and what are the key ones)

When managing an email marketing platform like Klaviyo, it’s essential to monitor metrics to optimize performance.

Here are some practical tips to ensure your platform remains healthy and your data stays positive.

Analyzing Metrics

To maintain a healthy Klaviyo platform, it's crucial to carefully monitor some key metrics. Here are the main ones:

1. Bounce Rate 

The bounce rate represents the percentage of emails that do not reach the recipient's inbox. An acceptable bounce rate should be below 1%.

A high bounce rate may indicate problems with your contact list or sender reputation.

Here’s how to reduce the bounce rate:

• Email Address Verification: Send emails only to verified contacts.
• List Cleaning: Regularly remove invalid or inactive addresses.

Difference between Hard Bounce and Soft Bounce

• Hard Bounce: Indicates a permanent failure in email delivery, often due to invalid or non-existent email addresses. It’s important to remove these addresses from your list to avoid damaging your sender reputation.
• Soft Bounce: Represents a temporary failure, due to issues like full inboxes or temporarily unavailable email servers. These addresses can remain on the list and be monitored for further issues.

Unsubscribe Rate

The unsubscribe rate measures how many recipients choose not to receive your emails anymore. Ideally, this rate should be below 0.30%. A high unsubscribe rate may indicate that the content sent is not relevant to the audience.
To improve it:

• Relevant Content: Send emails with interesting and useful content.
• Audience Segmentation: Tailor messages to the different needs and interests of your audience.

Engagement

 Engagement measures users' interaction with your emails, including open and click rates. Benchmarks indicate that a good open rate should be above 33%, while a good CTR (Click Through Rate) should be above 1.20%.
To increase engagement:

• Personalization: Personalize emails with the recipient's name and relevant content.
• A/B Testing: Test different versions of emails to discover which perform better.

Spam Rate

The spam rate measures the percentage of emails that end up in recipients' spam folders. An acceptable spam rate should be below 0.01%. To keep the spam rate low:

• Email Authentication: Implement techniques like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
• Content Quality: Ensure content is relevant and not perceived as spam.
• Recipient Consent: Send emails only to users who have explicitly agreed to receive them.

What is Email Authentication?

Implementing email authentication techniques is fundamental to improving the deliverability of your emails and preventing them from ending up in spam folders.

The three key protocols to configure are:

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This protocol allows you to specify which servers are authorized to send emails for your domain. Properly configuring SPF reduces the chances of your emails being marked as spam.
   
   
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM adds a digital signature to your email headers. This signature allows the recipient to verify that the email actually comes from the stated domain and has not been altered during transit. Properly configured DKIM increases email providers' trust in your legitimacy as a sender.
   
   
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): DMARC uses both SPF and DKIM to authenticate emails and provides a mechanism for receiving reports on any attempts to spoof your domain. Configuring DMARC allows you to have greater control over the protection of your domain and better monitor the integrity of your emails.

Strategies to improve data

1. Regular List Cleaning: Keep your contact list clean by removing invalid, inactive email addresses, or those that frequently generate bounces. This will not only improve delivery rates but also increase open and click rates.
2. Segmentation: Segment your audience based on behavior, interests, and demographics. This allows you to send more targeted and relevant content, enhancing engagement and reducing unsubscribe rates.
3. Valuable Content: Send content that adds value to your audience. Whether it’s special offers, product updates, or educational content, ensure your emails are interesting and useful for the recipients.

Technical best practices:

1. Testing and Optimization: Constantly test different versions of your emails to understand what works best. Use A/B testing to optimize email subject lines, content, design, and calls to action.
   
   
2. Compliance with Regulations: Ensure compliance with privacy and email marketing laws such as GDPR in Europe and the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States. Always provide an easy way to unsubscribe and respect user preferences.

Why adopt these measures?

Monitoring key metrics, adopting technical best practices, and providing valuable content are fundamental steps to ensure the success of your email marketing campaigns.

By implementing these strategies, you will not only improve the health of your contact list but also achieve better engagement and conversion rates.