Newsletter Performance Report
Comprehensive analysis of April 2026 Digest Newsletter performance with year-over-year comparison, industry benchmarking, and link click details
Executive Summary
The April 2026 Digest Newsletter maintained solid deliverability and open rates well above industry averages, though engagement metrics softened slightly versus March. This report provides a detailed analysis of key performance indicators, year-over-year comparisons, industry benchmarking, and individual link click performance.
Detailed Performance Analysis
April 2026 Newsletter Performance Details
| Metric | Value | Volume | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent | 100% | 128,022 | Baseline |
| Delivered | 95.53% | 122,298 | Within Standard |
| Hard Bounced | 0.55% | 710 | Average |
| Soft Bounced | 3.74% | 4,793 | Average |
| Opened | 41.10% | 50,270 | Excellent |
| Clicked | 1.25% | 1,527 | Good |
| Unsubscribed | 0.20% | 246 | Good |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.04% | 1,527 / 50,270 | Mid-Range |
April 2026 Newsletter Preview
Click the thumbnail below to view the complete newsletter
Email: "Find Your Business Rhythm" — Sent: April 1, 2026
Year-Over-Year Performance Comparison
| Metric | April 2026 | 2025 Average | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliverability Rate | 95.53% | 95.08% | +0.45% | ↑ Slight Improvement |
| Open Rate | 41.10% | 37.00% | +4.10% | ↑ Above Average |
| Click Rate | 1.25% | 1.32% | -0.07% | ↓ Below Average |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.04% | 3.56% | -0.52% | ↓ Below Average |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.20% | 0.19% | +0.01% | → Stable |
| Hard Bounce Rate | 0.55% | 0.31% | +0.24% | ↑ Elevated |
April 2026 open rates remain well above the 2025 average (37.00%) at 41.10%, though click and click-to-open rates dipped below the 2025 benchmarks for the first time this year. Deliverability held steady at 95.53%, consistent with 2025 norms. The hard bounce rate ticked up to 0.55%, which may warrant list hygiene attention. Across the four 2026 issues so far (Jan–Apr), open rates continue to lead 2025 averages in every month.
Industry Benchmark Comparison
Comparison against industry standards for real estate/professional services newsletters (Source: Mailchimp 2025 Benchmarks, Campaign Monitor 2025 Report)
| Metric | April 2026 Performance | Industry Average | Industry Top Quartile | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 41.10% | 20–25% | 35%+ | ★ Top Quartile |
| Click Rate | 1.25% | 1–3% | 2.5%+ | ◉ Mid-Range |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.04% | 3–8% | 6%+ | ◉ Mid-Range |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.20% | 0.1–0.3% | <0.15% | ◉ Within Range |
| Bounce Rate (Total) | 4.29% | <5% | <2% | ◉ Within Range |
| Deliverability Rate | 95.53% | 94–97% | 97%+ | ✓ Within Standard |
April 2026 deliverability (95.53%) remained within the industry standard range, and the open rate of 41.10% continues to outperform industry averages. Click and CTO rates softened and now sit below the 2025 average — there is opportunity to revitalize engagement by experimenting with CTA placement, button styling, and content variety in May.
Link Click Performance
Detailed breakdown of all tracked links in the April 2026 newsletter — 5,455 total clicks across 9 tracked links.
| Link / Destination | Total Clicks | % of Clicks | Unique People | % of People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newsletter Landing Page (Main) | 1,805 | 33.09% | 1,142 | 35.23% |
| Coach's Tip — Duplicate Your Clients, Multiply Your Opportunities | 1,163 | 21.32% | 652 | 20.11% |
| Fresh Perspective — 4 Powerful Question Strategies Smart Communicators Swear By | 1,042 | 19.10% | 568 | 17.52% |
| Subscribe Page | 966 | 17.71% | 497 | 15.33% |
| Member Spotlight — How One Boundary Helped Me Avoid Burnout | 110 | 2.02% | 95 | 2.93% |
| Good Life Story — Nicole Vermillion | 61 | 1.12% | 50 | 1.54% |
| Whitelist Page | 59 | 1.08% | 27 | 0.83% |
| Unsubscribe Page | 47 | 0.86% | 41 | 1.26% |
| Resources Page | 30 | 0.55% | 18 | 0.56% |
| TOTAL (Tracked Links) | 5,283 | 100% | — | — |
1. Newsletter Landing Page (Main): The main landing page drove the most clicks with 1,805 (33.1%) from 1,142 unique visitors — making it the strongest single page in the newsletter.
2. Coach's Tip Section: "Duplicate Your Clients, Multiply Your Opportunities" by Beverly Cairns drew 1,163 clicks (21.3%), making it the top editorial anchor link.
3. Fresh Perspective Section: "4 Powerful Question Strategies" by Colette Carlson received 1,042 clicks (19.1%), validating interest in communication-focused content.
4. Subscribe Page: The subscribe CTA generated 966 clicks (17.7%) — a strong indication that the newsletter is driving subscription interest and audience growth.
Key Insights & Recommendations
1. Revitalize Click Engagement: With CTO at 3.04% — the lowest since December 2025 (3.02%) — focus on improving click-through. Test clearer, more prominent CTAs, button styling, and placement above the fold to push engagement higher.
2. Monitor Hard Bounce Rate: At 0.55%, hard bounces are elevated compared to the 2025 average of 0.31%. Before the May send, run a list hygiene campaign or use a re-engagement sequence to clean the inactive portion of the list.
3. Leverage the Subscribe Momentum: The subscribe CTA performed very well in April. Consider making it a recurring feature — or A/B test placing it higher in the newsletter for even greater conversion.
4. Analyze Newsletter Format Change: April's newsletter shifted from linking to individual blog posts (used Jan–Mar) to a single landing page with anchor links. This change may have affected engagement patterns. Compare April's performance against Jan–Mar averages to determine if the format should be retained or adjusted.
Monthly Performance History
| Month | Sent | Delivered | Open Rate | Click Rate | Unsubscribe Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 115,934 | 95.30% | 39.28% | 1.94% | 0.07% |
| February 2025 | 104,937 | 95.36% | 41.78% | 1.53% | 0.11% |
| March 2025 | 72,860 | 93.19% | 34.93% | 0.96% | 0.05% |
| April 2025 | 112,568 | 95.47% | 40.84% | 1.47% | 0.10% |
| May 2025 | 112,139 | 94.73% | 38.29% | 0.67% | 0.09% |
| June 2025 | 111,816 | 95.17% | 37.08% | 1.86% | 0.19% |
| August 2025 | 86,917 | 94.35% | 26.21% | 0.52% | 0.35% |
| September 2025 | 116,335 | 95.36% | 36.47% | 0.89% | 0.32% |
| October 2025 | 116,771 | 95.42% | 36.40% | 1.21% | 0.27% |
| December 2025 | 122,677 | 95.55% | 35.92% | 1.79% | 0.28% |
| January 2026 | 126,732 | 95.54% | 38.71% | 1.54% | 0.37% |
| February 2026 | 126,465 | 90.12% | 46.43% | 1.68% | 0.34% |
| March 2026 | 128,121 | 95.65% | 43.99% | 1.62% | 0.19% |
| April 2026 | 128,022 | 95.53% | 41.10% | 1.25% | 0.20% |