Newsletter Performance Report
Comprehensive analysis of February 2026 Digest Newsletter performance with year-over-year comparison, industry benchmarking, and link click details
Executive Summary
The February 2026 Digest Newsletter showed a notable increase in open rates compared to January 2026, with strong click engagement. This report provides a detailed analysis of key performance indicators, year-over-year comparisons, industry benchmarking, and individual link click performance.
Detailed Performance Analysis
February 2026 Newsletter Performance Details
| Metric | Value | Volume | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent | 100% | 127,830 | Baseline |
| Delivered | 89.94% | 114,971 | Below Standard |
| Hard Bounced | 0.34% | 430 | Good |
| Soft Bounced | 4.02% | 5,136 | Average |
| Opened | 46.13% | 53,035 | Excellent |
| Clicked | 1.84% | 2,113 | Good |
| Unsubscribed | 0.25% | 293 | Within Range |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.98% | 2,113 / 53,035 | Good |
February 2026 Newsletter Preview
Click the thumbnail below to view the complete newsletter
Email: "Breaking Through What's Holding You Back!" - Sent: February 2, 2026
Year-Over-Year Performance Comparison
| Metric | February 2026 | 2025 Average | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliverability Rate | 89.94% | 95.16% | -5.22% | ↓ Decline |
| Open Rate | 46.13% | 38.53% | +7.60% | ↑ Strong Improvement |
| Click Rate | 1.84% | 1.36% | +0.48% | ↑ Improving |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.98% | 3.52% | +0.46% | ↑ Improving |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.25% | 0.19% | +0.06% | → Slight Increase |
| Hard Bounce Rate | 0.34% | 0.31% | +0.03% | → Stable |
February 2026 shows a remarkable 7.60% improvement in open rates versus the 2025 average, placing it among the strongest performing newsletters in recent history. Click rates also improved significantly. The deliverability dip (89.94%) is the main area to watch — likely driven by higher soft bounce volume — and warrants investigation into list hygiene for the February send.
Industry Benchmark Comparison
Comparison against industry standards for real estate/professional services newsletters (Source: Mailchimp 2025 Benchmarks, Campaign Monitor 2025 Report)
| Metric | February 2026 Performance | Industry Average | Industry Top Quartile | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 46.13% | 20-25% | 35%+ | ★ Top Quartile |
| Click Rate | 1.84% | 1-3% | 2.5%+ | ◉ Mid-Range |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.98% | 3-8% | 6%+ | ◉ Mid-Range |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.25% | 0.1-0.3% | <0.15% | ◉ Within Range |
| Bounce Rate (Total) | 4.36% | <5% | <2% | ◉ Within Range |
| Deliverability Rate | 89.94% | 94-97% | 97%+ | ↓ Below Standard |
Our open rate of 46.13% dramatically outperforms industry averages (20-25%), solidly placing us in the top quartile. However, deliverability dropped below the industry standard range for February, which is the primary focus area. Investigating the factors behind the soft bounce spike (5,136 soft bounces) should be the first priority before the next send.
Link Click Performance
Detailed breakdown of all tracked links in the February 2026 newsletter — 9,484 total clicks from 5,345 unique people across 20 tracked links.
| Link / Destination | Total Clicks | % of Clicks | Unique People | % of People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vimeo Video Player | 2,427 | 25.59% | 1,489 | 27.86% |
| Blog: Coach's Tip – Don't Give Up on Your Goals | 1,657 | 17.47% | 928 | 17.36% |
| Blog: Breaking Through What's Holding You Back | 1,473 | 15.53% | 801 | 14.99% |
| Subscribe – Digest Campaign UTM | 1,431 | 15.09% | 748 | 13.99% |
| Subscribe – Global Template UTM | 378 | 3.99% | 137 | 2.56% |
| Good Life Story: Rosio Robison | 374 | 3.94% | 213 | 3.99% |
| Blog: Personal Scoreboard – Stay Consistent | 659 | 6.95% | 389 | 7.28% |
| Coaching Page | 203 | 2.14% | 103 | 1.93% |
| Solutions Page | 150 | 1.58% | 85 | 1.59% |
| Training Page | 105 | 1.11% | 64 | 1.20% |
| Events Page | 104 | 1.10% | 60 | 1.12% |
| Resources Page | 82 | 0.86% | 52 | 0.97% |
| Unsubscribe Page | 79 | 0.83% | 53 | 0.99% |
| YouTube – Buffini & Company | 58 | 0.61% | 27 | 0.51% |
| LinkedIn – Buffini & Co | 59 | 0.62% | 25 | 0.47% |
| Subscribe – No UTM | 52 | 0.55% | 39 | 0.73% |
| Facebook – Buffini & Company | 52 | 0.55% | 26 | 0.49% |
| It's a Good Life Podcast | 45 | 0.47% | 41 | 0.77% |
| Instagram – Buffini & Co | 48 | 0.51% | 24 | 0.45% |
| Whitelist / Safe Sender | 48 | 0.51% | 41 | 0.77% |
| TOTAL | 9,484 | 100% | 5,345 | — |
1. Video (Vimeo): The embedded video was the #1 click driver with 2,427 clicks (25.6% share) from 1,489 unique viewers — confirming that video content drives the most engagement.
2. Coach's Tip Blog: "Don't Give Up on Your Goals" drew 1,657 clicks (17.5%), making it the top editorial content link.
3. Feature Blog Post: "Breaking Through What's Holding You Back" received 1,473 clicks (15.5%), validating the newsletter's lead story.
4. Subscribe CTA: Combined subscribe link clicks totaled 1,861 across three tracked variants, demonstrating strong audience growth intent.
Key Insights & Recommendations
1. Deliverability: Deliverability was lower than usual at 89.94%. This is worth monitoring closely in March to confirm it is an isolated occurrence rather than a trend.
2. Double Down on Video: Video was the top-clicked element at 25.6% of all clicks. Consider featuring video content more prominently or earlier in the email layout to maximize engagement.
3. Subscribe CTA Optimization: With 1,861 combined subscribe clicks, the subscribe call-to-action is working. Test consolidating tracking UTMs to get a cleaner click attribution picture.
4. Leverage the Open Rate Momentum: The February spike in opens (46.13%) may represent a seasonal or content-driven opportunity — analyze what drove the increase and replicate those elements in March.
Monthly Performance History
| Month | Sent | Delivered | Open Rate | Click Rate | Unsubscribe Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 117,923 | 95.38% | 40.84% | 1.99% | 0.07% |
| February 2025 | 106,870 | 95.45% | 43.43% | 1.57% | 0.11% |
| March 2025 | 74,032 | 93.29% | 37.13% | 1.02% | 0.06% |
| April 2025 | 114,517 | 95.54% | 42.45% | 1.51% | 0.11% |
| May 2025 | 114,084 | 94.82% | 40.07% | 0.69% | 0.09% |
| June 2025 | 113,794 | 95.24% | 38.57% | 1.91% | 0.20% |
| August 2025 | 88,673 | 94.46% | 27.36% | 0.54% | 0.36% |
| September 2025 | 118,598 | 95.45% | 37.83% | 0.91% | 0.34% |
| October 2025 | 119,026 | 95.50% | 37.76% | 1.24% | 0.29% |
| December 2025 | 124,941 | 95.62% | 37.16% | 1.83% | 0.27% |
| January 2026 | 128,989 | 95.61% | 37.84% | 1.47% | 0.21% |
| February 2026 | 127,830 | 89.94% | 46.13% | 1.84% | 0.25% |