If you’re sending outbound emails and need to prove (or improve) what’s working, you’re in the right place. This guide is for anyone who uses Vector to send outbound emails and actually wants answers—not just dashboards with pretty graphs. Whether you’re in sales, marketing, or customer success, you’ll get hands-on steps to track, analyze, and report on your outbound email performance—without all the jargon or fluff.
Let’s get into it.
1. Know What You Want to Measure (And Why)
Before you even open Vector, get clear on what “performance” means for your outbound emails. Not every metric is worth your time.
The basics: - Open rates: Fine for checking if you’re getting past spam filters, but don’t get obsessed—privacy changes make these less reliable. - Click rates: More useful. Did people actually engage? - Reply rates: For outbound, this is gold. If no one’s replying, nothing else matters. - Bounce rates: High bounce rates mean bad lists or technical issues. - Unsubscribes/Spam complaints: Ignore these at your own risk.
Pro tip: Pick one or two core metrics to focus on. Everything else is noise, especially at the start.
2. Set Up Tracking in Vector
Vector has built-in tracking, but it’s only as good as your setup. Garbage in, garbage out.
a. Make Sure Tracking Is Enabled
- Go to your email settings in Vector.
- Look for options like “Track Opens” and “Track Clicks.” Make sure they’re on.
- For reply tracking, Vector should pick up replies automatically if you’re sending from a connected inbox—but double-check this in your integration settings.
What to skip: Don’t bother with “vanity” settings like pixel tracking depth or heatmaps. They’re more for marketers with too much time than for people who want results.
b. Authenticate Your Sending Domain
If your emails aren’t authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), your open/click rates won’t mean much because a lot of your emails will end up in spam. In Vector, you’ll find the authentication setup in account or domain settings. Follow the steps—yes, it’s a pain, but it’s non-negotiable.
Keep it simple: If you’re not sure, ask your IT person or whoever manages your DNS.
3. Organize Your Campaigns for Reporting
If you throw everything into one pot, your data will be a mess.
- Use clear naming: Name your campaigns so you can tell them apart later (“Q3 Customer Outreach - LinkedIn Leads” beats “June Blast #2”).
- Segment smartly: Group by audience, offer, or template. If you run lots of tests, make a note in the campaign name or notes field.
- Tag campaigns: Use Vector’s tagging feature to group similar sends (e.g., “event follow-up”, “cold outreach”). This pays off later when you want to compare.
Pitfall: Don’t segment so much that you end up with campaigns too small to measure. If you’re sending 20 emails per “campaign,” you won’t get meaningful data.
4. Track Performance After Sending
Now comes the actual tracking. Here’s what to watch, and how to get it in Vector.
a. Use Vector’s Campaign Dashboard
After sending, head to your campaign dashboard: - Opens: Quick gut-check for deliverability. If you’re below 30%, something’s broken. - Clicks: Above 3% is usually solid for cold outbound; lower for newsletters. - Replies: This is what counts. For true outbound, a reply rate above 5% is strong. If you’re below 2%, rethink your targeting or messaging. - Bounces: Anything above 2%—pause and fix your list. - Unsubscribes/Spam: If you’re trending up, you’re burning your sender reputation. Stop and review.
b. Drill Down by Segment or Tag
Vector lets you filter results by tag, template, or audience segment. Use this to answer questions like: - Which audience is replying the most? - Which templates are tanking? - Did that new subject line actually help?
Don’t overanalyze: If you’re looking for patterns in tiny sample sizes (like 10 sends), you’re just chasing noise.
c. Export Raw Data (If You Need More)
If Vector’s built-in reports are too basic, you can export campaign data as CSV. This is handy if you want to: - Track replies beyond what Vector counts (e.g., manual follow-ups) - Merge data with your CRM or other tools - Run custom analysis (Excel, Google Sheets, whatever)
Just don’t: Spend hours making fancy charts nobody reads. Focus on the story the data tells.
5. Report Results That Actually Matter
Don’t just drop a spreadsheet on your boss’s desk. Tell a story with your numbers.
a. Focus on Impact
Answer: - Are we getting more replies? - Are we talking to more qualified leads? - Did changing the template/offer/sequence make a difference?
Skip: Reporting on open rates like they’re gospel. They’re a diagnostic tool, not a business outcome.
b. Visualize the Trends
Vector offers some basic graphs. Use them to show: - Performance over time (are things getting better or worse?) - Which segments or templates outperform others
If you’re presenting, keep it as simple as possible—a line chart or a bar chart is usually enough.
c. Call Out Problems and Next Steps
Don’t sugarcoat. If something’s not working, say so. Reporting is only useful if it leads to action.
- “Reply rates dropped after we changed the subject line. Let’s test the old one again.”
- “Our bounce rate is too high—need to clean the list.”
- “Sales only followed up on 30% of replies. That’s the real bottleneck.”
6. What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Getting your technical setup right (domain authentication, proper tracking) - Focusing on reply rates and real engagement - Keeping your campaigns organized for easy reporting
What doesn’t: - Obsessing over open rates (Apple and Gmail broke these anyway) - Getting lost in micro-segments or “A/B tests” with tiny sample sizes - Reporting just for the sake of it
What to ignore: - Fancy features like heatmaps or “best send time” algorithms—these are mostly marketing fluff - Metrics that don’t tie to actual conversations or pipeline
7. Pro Tips for Better, Faster Reporting
- Automate where possible: Set up saved views or scheduled reports in Vector so you’re not pulling the same data every week.
- Document learnings: Add notes to campaigns about what you changed. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Limit the audience: Share your reporting with the people who can act on it—not everyone needs every detail.
- Iterate: Don’t chase “perfect” reporting. Start simple, add detail only if it helps you improve.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t let reporting become a second job. Start with the basics, keep your eye on real conversations (not just clicks and opens), and tighten things up as you go. The goal isn’t to drown in data—it’s to see what’s working, fix what’s not, and move on. Most dashboards look impressive, but real results come from acting on a handful of useful numbers.
Now, go track what matters. And if you’re still not sure what that is, remember: replies are king. Start there.