Newsletter Performance Report
Comprehensive analysis of January 2026 Digest Newsletter performance with year-over-year comparison and industry benchmarking
Executive Summary
The January 2026 Digest Newsletter demonstrated strong performance with improved deliverability and solid engagement metrics compared to the previous year. This report provides a detailed analysis of key performance indicators, year-over-year comparisons, and industry benchmarking.
Detailed Performance Analysis
January 2026 Newsletter Performance Details
| Metric | Value | Volume | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent | 100% | 128,989 | Baseline |
| Delivered | 95.61% | 123,325 | Excellent |
| Hard Bounced | 0.38% | 491 | Good |
| Soft Bounced | 4.01% | 5,173 | Average |
| Opened | 37.84% | 46,665 | Excellent |
| Clicked | 1.47% | 1,819 | Good |
| Unsubscribed | 0.21% | 261 | Excellent |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.90% | 1,819 / 46,665 | Good |
January 2026 Newsletter Preview
Click the thumbnail below to view the complete newsletter
Email: "Get Your Year Off to a Great Start!" - Sent: January 19, 2026
Year-Over-Year Performance Comparison
| Metric | January 2026 | 2025 Average | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliverability Rate | 95.61% | 95.16% | +0.45% | ↑ Improving |
| Open Rate | 37.84% | 38.53% | -0.69% | ↓ Slight Decline |
| Click Rate | 1.47% | 1.36% | +0.11% | ↑ Improving |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.90% | 3.52% | +0.38% | ↑ Improving |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.21% | 0.19% | +0.02% | → Stable |
| Hard Bounce Rate | 0.38% | 0.31% | +0.07% | ↑ Increase |
While open rates saw a slight decline compared to 2025 averages, click rates and click-to-open rates improved significantly. This suggests that although fewer recipients opened the email, those who did were more engaged with the content. The increase in hard bounces indicates a need for list hygiene maintenance.
Industry Benchmark Comparison
Comparison against industry standards for real estate/professional services newsletters (Source: Mailchimp 2025 Benchmarks, Campaign Monitor 2025 Report)
| Metric | January 2026 Performance | Industry Average | Industry Top Quartile | Performance Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 37.84% | 20-25% | 35%+ | ★ Top Quartile |
| Click Rate | 1.47% | 1-3% | 2.5%+ | ◉ Mid-Range |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 3.90% | 3-8% | 6%+ | ◉ Mid-Range |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.21% | 0.1-0.3% | <0.15% | ◉ Within Range |
| Bounce Rate | 4.39% | <5% | <2% | ◉ Within Range |
Our open rate of 37.84% significantly outperforms industry averages (20-25%) and places us in the top quartile of performers. However, our click-to-open rate of 3.90% is in the mid-range, suggesting opportunities to improve content engagement and call-to-action effectiveness.
Key Insights & Recommendations
1. A/B Testing: Test different subject lines to improve open rates while maintaining the current high engagement levels.
2. List Hygiene: Implement a quarterly list cleaning process to reduce bounce rates and maintain deliverability scores.
3. Content Optimization: Focus on improving click-to-open rates through stronger call-to-action placement and more compelling content offers.
4. Segmentation: Consider segmenting the newsletter list based on engagement levels to deliver more targeted content to active subscribers.
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% |