Are your emails getting an 11% click-through rate? Other B2B businesses are, and this is why it matters

When I first joined Facebook in 2006, I remember indiscriminately adding friends, family and remote acquaintances to my page, feeling a satisfying rush as my friend count increased. In 2023, this obsessive behaviour has switched to watching the steady rise of email open and click-through numbers in HubSpot (thankfully my outreach method is far more discerning now!). 

How many opens and click-throughs our email marketing is achieving – and the resulting click-through rate (CTR) – is a big deal. In a recent survey, the Databox team found that:  

‘For over 40% of our contributors, email CTAs get a click-through rate of 3-5%. If you thought that reaching 10% or more was hard, you’d be right, but almost 15% of our respondents still manage to achieve that.’ 

Are you in that 15% of marketers achieving a 10% or higher CTR? Based on our Benchmark Groups data, mid-sized B2B businesses are averaging an 11% CTR. So, if you’re not yet achieving this impressive statistic, you’ll want to read on… 

We'll be discussing why a high CTR matters, and how you can increase your CTR to give your B2B email marketing efforts the boost they need – especially as we enter unpredictable times. 

Why a high CTR matters for B2B businesses

As discussed in our previous post about email marketing send volume, email marketing is a crucial tool for any B2B business. It provides an effective means of: 

• Communicating with customers at any part of their buyer journey 
• Building brand awareness, thought leadership and trust 
• Saving money compared to other marketing platforms 
• Driving sales and keeping customers engaged beyond their purchase.  

A high click-through rate indicates that your emails are engaging and relevant to your target audience. More specifically, it shows: 

• Recipients are taking the time to click through to your website  
• Once they arrive there, they may read your content, and engage with your wider business.
  

In our Benchmark Groups data, on average, UK B2B businesses achieve: 

1. 344 email opens per month 
2. 38 email click throughs per month 
3. This gives us an average CTR of 11%. 

How does your business compare to these statistics?  

Are you achieving more or fewer opens?  

More or fewer clicks?  

If you’re not sure, it’s vital you start measuring these metrics with every email marketing campaign you launch. By monitoring them, you can learn valuable lessons, such as: 

1. What leads to increased email engagement?  

When your emails receive a high CTR, it shows that your audience is engaged and interested in what you have to offer. This engagement can lead to increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.  

So, when you get a high CTR, pay attention to the wording and offer in that email – you’ll want to test a similar format again. 

2. What leads to improved conversion rates

A high CTR is often a strong predictor of higher conversion rates. When your emails receive a high CTR, it shows that your audience is interested in your offering and is more likely to take action, converting into a customer. 

Once they click and arrive at the desired landing page, what action do they next take? Do they fill in a form and become a lead? If so, learn more about your prospects from the kind of content they convert on.  

 3. What leads to better email ROI?  

A high CTR also results in better return on investment (ROI) for your email marketing efforts. With a higher CTR, you are reaching a larger audience and increasing your chances of driving sales and revenue. 

Email marketing has a significantly higher return than other channels: it's estimated that email generates £30 for every 80p spent… that’s 3,800% ROI! 

How to increase your CTR 

Now that you understand why a high CTR matters, let's discuss how you can increase your own CTR for your B2B email marketing efforts. 

Strategy 1: Segment your email list 

Segmenting your audience is a crucial step in increasing your CTR. By sending targeted and relevant emails to specific segments of your audience, you can ensure that your emails are relevant and engaging to each recipient. This can result in higher open and click-through rates. 

Strategy 2: Personalise your emails  

Personalising your emails can significantly increase your CTR. Including the recipient's name in the subject line or using dynamic content to deliver personalised messaging can make your emails feel more relevant and valuable to the recipient. 

Strategy 3: Optimise your subject lines  

Your subject line is the first thing that your audience sees, and it's often the deciding factor in whether they will open your email.  

Make sure your subject lines are clear, concise, and attention-grabbing to encourage your audience to open your emails.  

Strategy 4: Test and optimise your emails 

Testing and optimising your emails is an ongoing process that can help you improve your CTR over time.  

You can test things like:

• Subject lines
• Call-to-action (CTA) placement 
• Email design 

This will help you determine what resonates with your audience and drives the best results.  

Strategy 5: Deliver valuable content in your emails 

Your emails should deliver value to your audience. Whether that be through educational content, promotions or other offers, your emails should provide something to get your audience excited. This can help increase engagement and CTR. 

In conclusion, a high CTR is a critical aspect of B2B email marketing. It shows that your emails are engaging and relevant to your target audience, which can lead to increased engagement, improved conversion rates, and better ROI.  

By segmenting your audience, personalising and taking the time to test your emails, you can expect to see your click-through rate increase over time. If other UK B2B businesses are seeing an average of 11% CTR, there’s no reason you can’t too (and shouldn’t be aiming even higher).