LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers

Introduction LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers

LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers. LinkedIn has taken a major step in enhancing its Newsletter feature by introducing email-centric analytics. This long-awaited update brings more transparency to newsletter publishers, helping them better understand how their content is reaching and engaging their audience.

While many marketers and businesses have requested these insights for some time, the new metrics fill a critical gap in LinkedIn’s offering. With the addition of Email Sends and Email Open Rate, LinkedIn newsletters now provide better visibility into email performance, though some limitations remain.

In this blog, we will explore the significance of these new metrics, how they impact newsletter publishers, and what improvements could still be made.

What’s New?

LinkedIn has added two key metrics to the Newsletter Analytics page:

• Email Sends – This metric tracks how many subscribers received an email notification about a newly published newsletter article.
• Email Open Rate – This metric shows the percentage of recipients who opened the email notification.

LinkedIn has also noted that these numbers are estimates and may not be completely precise. However, they offer valuable insights into audience engagement via email, which was previously a black box for LinkedIn newsletter publishers.

Why This Matters for Newsletter Publishers

1. Better Understanding of Email Engagement

Before these metrics were introduced, publishers had little clarity on how readers accessed their newsletters. The only available data points were views, shares, and reactions within the LinkedIn platform. Now, with Email Sends and Open Rates, publishers can gauge how many people engage with newsletters through their email inboxes instead of relying solely on LinkedIn notifications.

2. Improved Content Strategy

These insights help publishers refine their newsletter strategies. For instance, if open rates are low, it may indicate that subject lines need to be more engaging or that recipients are not finding the content compelling enough to open. Publishers can now test different headlines and sending times to optimize their results.

3. Cross-Channel Performance Comparisons

Many publishers use multiple platforms for their newsletters, such as Substack, Mailchimp, or ConvertKit. Previously, it was difficult to compare LinkedIn’s effectiveness with these services. With Email Sends and Open Rates, publishers can now assess whether LinkedIn is a viable standalone platform or if they should encourage their LinkedIn audience to subscribe elsewhere.

4. More Transparency for Advertisers

For those who monetize their newsletters through sponsorships or advertising, these new metrics provide valuable data to potential partners. Brands that sponsor content now have a clearer picture of how many subscribers receive and engage with branded newsletter content via email.

Limitations of LinkedIn’s Newsletter Email Metrics

Despite this important update, several key features remain missing. Here are some of the major limitations:

1. Lack of Access to Subscriber Email Addresses

Unlike traditional email marketing platforms, LinkedIn does not provide newsletter authors with subscriber email addresses. This means publishers cannot directly manage their email lists, move subscribers to other platforms, or engage with them outside LinkedIn.

Some publishers have suggested an opt-in option, where subscribers could voluntarily share their email addresses with the newsletter author. However, LinkedIn has no immediate plans to introduce this feature.

2. No Click-Through Rate (CTR) Data

While Email Sends and Open Rates are helpful, they don’t provide a complete picture of engagement. A critical missing metric is the Click-Through Rate (CTR), which measures how many readers click on links within the newsletter. This data would be valuable for tracking actual reader engagement and conversions.

3. No A/B Testing Capabilities

Most advanced email marketing platforms allow A/B testing, where publishers can send different versions of a newsletter to test which subject lines or formats perform better. LinkedIn’s email analytics currently lack this functionality, limiting publishers’ ability to experiment and optimize engagement.

4. Unclear Data Accuracy

LinkedIn openly states that its email analytics are estimates. While it’s helpful to have some data, publishers should be aware that the reported numbers might not be entirely precise. It remains to be seen how reliable these metrics are over time.

How Publishers Can Leverage LinkedIn’s Email Metrics

Even with its limitations, LinkedIn’s new email analytics can still be highly beneficial for newsletter authors. Here are some actionable ways to use this data effectively:

1. Optimize Subject Lines for Higher Open Rates

Since Open Rate is now available, publishers should experiment with different subject lines to determine what works best. Strong subject lines should be concise, engaging, and relevant to the audience.

2. Find the Best Send Times

Analyzing Email Sends and Open Rates over time can help identify when subscribers are most likely to open emails. If open rates are low at certain times, publishers can experiment with different sending schedules.

3. Measure Growth and Retention Trends

Tracking Email Sends over multiple newsletter editions can indicate whether a subscriber base is growing or shrinking. If there’s a decline in recipients, it could mean people are unsubscribing or that LinkedIn’s algorithm is limiting email distribution.

4. Cross-Platform Comparisons

Publishers who use LinkedIn alongside other newsletter platforms should compare performance metrics. If LinkedIn’s open rates are lower than platforms like Mailchimp, it might be necessary to encourage LinkedIn subscribers to join an external email list.

5. Strengthen Advertiser and Sponsor Relationships

By providing advertisers with estimated email reach and open rates, newsletter publishers can demonstrate value and justify sponsorship pricing. The more transparent the data, the easier it is to attract brand partnerships.

What’s Next for LinkedIn’s Newsletter Analytics?

The introduction of email metrics is a step in the right direction, but there’s still room for improvement. Here are some potential enhancements that would make LinkedIn’s newsletter platform even more competitive:

• Access to Subscriber Emails (Opt-in Feature): Allowing subscribers to share their email addresses with publishers would give them more control over their audience.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR) Metrics: Adding CTR data would provide better insight into actual engagement beyond open rates.
• Better Data Accuracy: Ensuring that reported numbers are more reliable would build trust among publishers.
• A/B Testing Tools: Giving publishers the ability to test different subject lines, formats, and content styles would help optimize performance.

Conclusion

LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers. LinkedIn’s rollout of Email Sends and Open Rate metrics for newsletters is a significant improvement for content creators, businesses, and marketers using the platform. These new insights allow for better content strategy, cross-platform comparisons, and greater advertiser transparency.

However, the lack of access to subscriber emails, missing click-through rate data, and limited testing capabilities mean there is still progress to be made. As LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers continues to evolve its newsletter tools, publishers will need to assess whether the platform meets their long-term email marketing needs or if they should invest in dedicated newsletter services.

For now, LinkedIn Rolls Out Email Metrics For Newsletter Publishers provides valuable—but not yet comprehensive—data. As more marketers explore these new insights, the platform’s approach to email metrics may continue to evolve based on user feedback and demand.