Open Rates Don't Equal Engagement. Here's What Does.

An open rate on any platform simply tells you a message was delivered and (maybe) previewed. Unfortunately, it tells you nothing about what the customer did next. Engagement is action: a reply, a tap, a completed step, a purchase. When a channel reports a healthy open rate but nothing moves down funnel, you are measuring attention that never turned into intent. Is it worth it?

If your reports look fine but your results do not, the metric is the problem.

Why are open rates a misleading metric?

Open rates feel reassuring because they is easy to measure and usually looks high. But it breaks down in three ways:

1. It is increasingly unreliable --> Privacy features that pre-load images fire an "open" whether or not a human actually looked at it. Your email open rate can climb while real attention falls.
2. It is passive. An open records that a message surfaced on a screen. Seen and forgotten looks identical to seen and acted on.
3. It hides a dead funnel. You can post a strong open rate and still have almost no replies or conversions. The top of the report looks healthy while the bottom flatlines.

Declining email open rates get a lot of attention, but chasing the number back up misses the point. A better open rate on a channel where nobody acts is still a channel where nobody acts.

What does real engagement actually look like?

Engagement is anything the customer does that moves them forward, and all of it is trackable (with RCS tech):

• Replies to a question you asked.
• Taps on a button or a carousel option.
• Completed actions inside the message, like confirming, rescheduling, or reordering.
• Conversions that trace back to the message.

These beat open rate for one simple reason: they only happen when the customer chooses to participate. That choice is the signal you actually want.

How do you earn user actions instead of just an open?

Give the customer something to do without leaving the thread. Make it fun and interactive. That way, the same message can be passive or active depending on how it is built. For example:

• Shipping notices that just say "your order shipped" gets an open. Great. But a shipping notice with a live tracking card and/or a "manage delivery" button will likely get clicked.
• A subscription renewal reminder with a link might get ignored. But a renewal reminder with "renew now" or "talk to us" button implies it will be easy to either renew or cancel.
• A survey link buried in an email gets skipped. But a single question with quick-reply buttons (ie. here are 5 buttons ranging from 1 to 5 stars, tap one to let us know how we did,) gets an answer in the thread every time because it's simple and intuitive.

Every one of these actions are measurable, and every one ties back to an outcome instead of an impression.

The channel built for measurable action

Interactive, two-way messaging like the ones I described run on RCS (Rich Communication Services), the upgrade to SMS built into the default messaging app on most cell phones. Because the customer can tap, reply, and complete steps inside the thread, you measure what they did, not just whether a message loaded.

The numbers reflect the difference. Branded messages using RCS generally see 90%+ open rates, but the part that matters is what happens after: up to 3x the engagement of SMS and 45%+ higher click-through. High opens are nice. High opens plus real action is what every company should be aiming for.

It compounds inbound and outbound

Measurable engagement helps on both sides of the journey:

• For outbound: Every campaign, reminder, and lifecycle message becomes a two-way exchange you can score by action, not by open. That's what we deliver with our nativeMsg platform.
• For inbound: A QR scan or ad tap opens a conversation instead of a landing page you can only measure by bounce. That is what nativeCapture is designed for.

Depending on what your needs are, we have a solution that can work for you.

The takeaway

Stop optimizing for the metric that is easiest to inflate. An open is a maybe, but a tap, reply, or conversion is a clear yes. Build messages people can act on inside the thread, measure the actions, and you will trade a vanity number for a growth number.

See engagement you can actually count. Book a demo today to see it in action, specifically catered to your brand and company. It'll give you a good idea of what's possible.

FAQ

Is open rate a good metric?

Open rate shows delivery and possible preview, not action. Privacy features also inflate it, so it is unreliable on its own. Pair it with reply, tap, and conversion rates to see real engagement.

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Why are my email open rates dropping?

Inbox placement and privacy changes both affect the number, and pre-loaded images can distort it in either direction. Rather than chasing opens, measure whether messages produce replies and conversions.

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What engagement metrics should I track instead?

Track reply rate, tap or click-through rate on in-message actions, completion rate for steps like confirm or reorder, and conversions attributed to the message. These reflect customer intent, not just exposure.