I’m very focused on growing our newsletter because it is the most direct method of communicating with you. Unlike social media, no algorithms stop you from seeing your local news. What I send is what you see.
With that in mind, here’s a little unscientific analysis of the email newsletters sent on Feb. 17, 2024, and Feb. 17, 2025. While this is a snapshot of just two days, not an average, it’s still fun to compare.
Here goes, and thank you for your continued support:
Updated Email Performance Comparison: 2024 vs. 2025
1. Open Rate: Slight Decrease
2024: 30.6% (4,715 opened)
2025: 28.0% (5,178 opened)
While the open rate has decreased slightly (-2.6 percentage points), the total number of opens increased due to a larger recipient base.
2. Number of Recipients & Total Opens: Strong Growth
Successful Deliveries:
2024: 15,428
2025: 18,490 (+3,062 recipients, +20% increase)
Total Opens:
2024: 6,606
2025: 6,544 (slight decrease)
3. Click Rate & Engagement: Higher Clicks per Unique Open
Click Rate:
2024: 3.1% (473 clicked)
2025: 3.9% (725 clicked) (+53% increase in total clicks)
Clicks per Unique Open:
2024: 10.0%
2025: 14.0% (+40% increase)
This indicates that while slightly fewer people opened the email proportionally, those who did were more engaged and clicked more frequently.
4. Bounce Rate & Unsubscribes: Improved List Quality
Bounce Rate:
2024: 0.12% (19 bounced)
2025: 0.03% (6 bounced) (Improved)
Unsubscribe Rate:
2024: 0.01% (1 unsubscribed)
2025: 0.03% (6 unsubscribed)
The lower bounce rate suggests better email list hygiene, but unsubscribe rates slightly increased, likely due to the larger audience.
Key Insights & Actionable Steps
The list has grown by 20%, but engagement needs optimization.
Click-through engagement is significantly higher, meaning content resonates well.
The bounce rate improved, indicating better deliverability.
The slight open rate dip suggests a need for better subject lines or segmentation strategies.