Why measuring sequences matters
Email sequences go by many names—customer journeys, flows, automations—but Elizabeth simplifies all of them into one definition:
“Sending the right message at the right time based on where someone is
in their relationship with your brand.”
Knowing whether that timing and message actually work requires thoughtful planning and measurement. And that starts before you ever open your ESP.
She stressed the importance of mapping your flow in advance:
“It is important to develop a map even before you go into the
platform.”
This clarity helps you build sequences that align with real business outcomes.
Mapping the journey before you measure it
Elizabeth recommends a straightforward five-step approach:
Map your objectives and goals
Map your flow
Create your emails
Implement
Track and analyze
Even a simple whiteboard sketch or Canva diagram can work. What matters is that you know exactly what your sequence is designed to achieve before building it.
Connect email goals to business goals
Many marketers mistakenly treat email metrics as the goal. Elizabeth reframes this sharply:
"Your email marketing goals are not the goals for your journey. The
goals for your journey are your business goals."
Your sequence must be anchored in actions like:
Without this, measurement becomes vague—and decisions become misleading.
Defining goals for your sequence
Elizabeth explained that sequences can vary widely:
Some are one email long
Others run for 30, 60, 90 days or more
Some are about selling, others about branding
She reminded marketers that not every sequence should push for a transaction:
“There is a whole relationship between getting to know your customer
and building brand awareness before the sale happens.”
A sequence must be judged based on the specific action it is designed to encourage—not a generic expectation of revenue.
How to track whether sequences are working
Measurement requires connecting email metrics to offline and online business results. Elizabeth recommends using any reporting tool—from Excel to a CRM—to bring everything together.
Her guidance includes three major practices:
1. Track email metrics AND goal metrics together
This means:
Opens, clicks, unsubscribes
AND
Purchases, bookings, foot traffic, reservations
Especially in industries like restaurants or fine dining, email clicks alone don’t reflect success.
2. A/B testing is non-negotiable
Her experience with clients is clear:
“We often love an email, but the test proves what we liked as wrong.”
Testing removes assumptions and replaces them with insight.
3. Decide when you will measure success
Short sequences may reveal results in days.
Long sequences may take months.
Elizabeth advises marketers to define:
…and evaluate performance at both intervals.
Different types of sequences require different metrics
Elizabeth shared examples from varied industries to illustrate how measurement should adapt to business needs.
1. Restaurant or hospitality sequences
Metrics include:
Orders
Reservations
Repeat visits
“These emails may perform well, but what we really want to look at is
how many orders we drove.”
2. Brand-building sequences
Some sequences intentionally sell nothing.
They help:
Deepen connection
Increase engagement
Introduce your story
“Yes, the end goal is the sale, but not every email will get the sale.
It’s about building the relationship.”
These sequences should be measured on:
—not immediate revenue.
Why conversion tracking matters
Tracking conversions helps you prioritize what actually moves your business.
Elizabeth warns that what works today won’t necessarily work tomorrow:
“What works today may not work in a few months or even a few years.”
Her example:
During COVID lockdowns, many email journeys instantly became irrelevant and had to be rewritten. This is why sequences should never be treated as set-it-and-forget-it.
A key reminder:
“Success cannot be measured solely by email performance.”
High opens and high clicks do not always translate to revenue or actions.
Elizabeth encourages using built-in analytics tools whenever possible:
“Why complicate things when many platforms already have tools for
tracking?”
She also outlined key mistakes to avoid:
1. Don’t assume sequences run forever
Even evergreen flows need updates based on:
Business changes
Audience behavior shifts
External events
New offerings
2. Don’t rely only on email metrics
A sequence that “looks good” may not be delivering business results.
3. Don’t create sequences just because others do
“Plan, map, implement, execute, and analyze.”
If a sequence doesn’t support your business goals, it adds noise, not value.
Key takeaways
Measuring whether a sequence works isn’t just about opens or clicks—it’s about whether your emails contribute to real business outcomes. By mapping goals first, defining success windows, testing rigorously, and adapting as conditions change, you ensure each sequence moves subscribers closer to meaningful actions. Elizabeth’s approach reinforces that measurement is not a one-time task but an ongoing discipline that keeps your email strategy aligned with what your business needs most.
