Are bot clicks skewing your newsletter metrics? 🤖
The hidden impact of bot clicks on your sponsorship strategy.
This week, we're tackling an issue that all newsletter operators should be accounting for:
Bot clicks.
Depending on your audience, a significant portion of your newsletter clicks might be coming from bots.
We're not talking about malicious bots, but security software protecting recipients from potential threats.
When you look at the data, you can see how prevalent an issue it is.
B2C newsletters see around 5% of their clicks coming from bots, but according to Inbox Collective, B2B newsletters might see their clicks inflated by up to 77%.
That's a game-changer for your metrics and your understanding of your newsletter’s engagement.
Your click rates are inflated, leading to overestimated performance.
Advertisers will likely see fewer clicks than you report, potentially causing trust issues.
And, if you're using a cost-per-click model, your invoicing could be off-target.
That means advertisers are less satisfied, less trusting, and less likely to re-book.
Ultimately, less revenue for you and your newsletter!
In all of our experience managing relationships between advertisers and publishers, we’ve found a few proactive steps that you can take to deal with this issue:
Ask your ESP if they provide data on bot clicks. If they don’t, consider switching to one that does.
Be transparent with advertisers about bot clicks and how you'll account for them.
For CPC campaigns, consider basing click counts on the advertiser's numbers.
Bot clicks occur at a higher rate relative to human clicks at the bottom of emails. Factor this into your reporting and communication with advertisers.
In addition to these steps, we've implemented a trusted 3rd party solution.
At Wellput, our dynamic CPC pricing model identifies bot clicks and doesn't charge advertisers for them.
This ensures fair and effective pricing for all parties.
Looking for a partner to help you navigate these challenges and secure better sponsorships?
It's free to join, no obligations attached.
And keep reading the Newsletter Sponsorship Insider for more tips and strategies on generating more revenue with your newsletter!
