What Engagement Metrics Should I Track for RCS?

RCS Engagement Metrics: What to Measure and Why

Not all metrics matter equally. Here's the focused list that actually tells you if your RCS campaigns are working.

Tier 1: Core Metrics (Track Daily)

Delivery Rate

• Definition: Percentage of sent messages successfully delivered
• Target: 95%+
• Red flag: Below 90% indicates carrier or compliance issues
• Why it matters: If messages aren't delivered, nothing else matters

Open Rate

• Definition: Percentage of delivered messages that were opened
• RCS benchmark: 50-80%
• SMS benchmark: 20-40%
• Why it matters: Shows subject line effectiveness and audience relevance

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

• Definition: Percentage of opens that resulted in taps on buttons or links
• RCS benchmark: 8-15%
• SMS benchmark: 2-5%
• Why it matters: Measures content engagement and CTA strength

Tier 2: Conversion Metrics (Track Weekly)

Conversion Rate

• Definition: Percentage of recipients who completed a desired action (purchase, signup, etc.)
• RCS benchmark: 2-8% depending on use case
• E-commerce: 2-5%
• Lead generation: 5-10%
• App installs: 8-15%
• Why it matters: Ties directly to revenue

Revenue Per Message

• Definition: Total campaign revenue divided by messages sent
• Use case-specific: ranges from $0.10 to $5+ per message
• Why it matters: True measure of campaign efficiency

Cost Per Conversion

• Definition: Total campaign cost divided by conversions
• Compare to other channels to optimize spend
• Why it matters: Determines ROI

Tier 3: Quality Metrics (Track Monthly)

Response Rate

• Definition: Percentage of recipients who replied to your message
• RCS benchmark: 5-10%
• Why it matters: Indicates two-way engagement and conversation quality

Engagement Quality Score

• Composite metric weighting opens, clicks, conversions
• Helps compare campaigns with different objectives
• Why it matters: Single number for performance comparison

Opt-Out Rate

• Definition: Percentage of recipients who unsubscribed
• Target: Below 5%
• Red flag: Above 10% indicates over-messaging or irrelevant content
• Why it matters: Protects long-term list health

Complaint Rate

• Definition: Percentage of recipients who marked as spam
• Target: Below 0.1%
• Red flag: Above 0.5% can trigger carrier blocks
• Why it matters: Critical for maintaining carrier standing

What NOT to Track

Don't get distracted by vanity metrics:

• Total message volume (means nothing without context)
• Total impressions (irrelevant for 1:1 messaging)
• Likes or reactions (not applicable to RCS)
• Followers (not a messaging metric)

Focus on metrics that tie to business outcomes: revenue, cost per conversion, retention.

The Bottom Line

Focus on metrics that tie to revenue and cost: delivery, conversion, revenue per message, cost per conversion. Track them consistently, compare across channels, and optimize based on data — not assumptions.

Start with Tier 1 metrics (delivery, open, CTR) and expand to Tier 2 and 3 as you mature. Always tie back to business outcomes.

Need help building a custom dashboard for your RCS campaigns? I can help you identify the right metrics and set up tracking aligned with your KPIs.