Email Marketing Terms Every Beginner Should Know
Just getting started with email marketing? You’re probably hearing a lot of jargon open rates, CTRs, segments, bounces and wondering what it all means.
Don’t worry. Whether you’re launching a newsletter, building a sales funnel, or just trying to grow your first email list, this guide will break down the essential email marketing terms every beginner should know without the fluff.
Let’s dive in.
📬 1. Subscriber
A subscriber is someone who has opted in (usually via a form or lead magnet) to receive emails from you. They’re the foundation of your email list.
Why it matters: These are your people—your community, your customers, your audience.
💌 2. Campaign
An email campaign is a single email (or a series of emails) you send to a list or segment of subscribers. Campaigns can be newsletters, product announcements, promos, etc.
Example: A 3-email campaign promoting your new course launch.
📈 3. Open Rate
The open rate is the percentage of subscribers who opened your email.
Formula:
Open Rate = (Emails Opened ÷ Emails Delivered) × 100
Good to know: While open rates are useful, Apple Mail Privacy Protection (AMPP) and other tools may inflate this number in 2025. Use it directionally, not absolutely.
🔗 4. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR measures the percentage of people who clicked a link in your email.
Formula:
CTR = (Total Clicks ÷ Emails Delivered) × 100
Why it matters: This shows real engagement—who actually interacted with your content.
🎯 5. Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)
Click-to-Open Rate measures how many people clicked after opening your email.
Formula:
CTOR = (Clicks ÷ Opens) × 100
Why it’s useful: Helps you understand if your email content is compelling—after people open it.
🧱 6. List / Audience
Your list or audience is your collection of email subscribers. Lists are often segmented for better targeting (see below).
Tip: Focus on growing a quality list over a massive one.
🧩 7. Segment
A segment is a subgroup of your list, divided by specific criteria like behavior, location, purchase history, or engagement level.
Why it matters: Segmented emails get higher open and click rates because they’re more relevant.
Example: Sending a VIP offer only to past buyers.
🤖 8. Automation
Email automation refers to emails that are triggered based on user actions or time delays (also called drip sequences).
Examples:
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Welcome email after sign-up
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Abandoned cart reminder
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Birthday discount email
Bonus: Automations save time and increase conversions with less effort.
🚫 9. Bounce Rate
A bounce is an email that couldn’t be delivered. There are two types:
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Hard bounce: Invalid or non-existent email address
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Soft bounce: Temporary issue (like a full inbox)
Tip: High bounce rates hurt deliverability. Regularly clean your list.
❌ 10. Unsubscribe Rate
The unsubscribe rate is the percentage of people who opt out of your list after receiving an email.
Healthy range: Under 0.5% is typically fine.
If it’s high: Your content may be irrelevant, too frequent, or too salesy.
11. A/B Testing: Email Marketing Terms
A/B testing (aka split testing) is when you test two versions of an email to see which performs better.
What you can test:
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Subject lines
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Send times
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CTAs
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Layouts or buttons
Why it matters: Small tweaks can lead to big improvements over time.
12. Opt-In / Opt-Out: Email Marketing Terms
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Opt-in: When someone gives you permission to email them (e.g., signing up through a form).
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Opt-out: When someone unsubscribes or removes consent.
Important: Always use double opt-in if possible and stay compliant with regulations like GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and CASL.
13. Deliverability: Email Marketing Terms
Email deliverability refers to the ability of your email to land in someone’s inbox (not their spam folder).
Factors that affect it:
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Sender reputation
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Spammy content
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High bounce or complaint rates
Pro Tip: Use a custom domain email (like
you@yourbrand.com) and authenticate it using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
14. Permission-Based Marketing: Email Marketing Terms
This simply means you only email people who have explicitly permitted you. It’s the gold standard in email marketing and essential for compliance and trust.
Never: Buy email lists or add people without consent.
Final Thoughts: Email Marketing Terms Every Beginner Should Know
Email marketing doesn’t have to be intimidating. Once you understand these key terms, you can navigate your platform, analyze your performance, and speak the language of smart marketers.
Knowledge = confidence. Confident marketers build better relationships, campaigns, and results.
