By Shanna Mallon
Even an old pro at email marketing will find surprises in the hard data on the practice.
Want to know more about what influences open rates, what kind of ROI emails average or good ways to boost click rates, for example? Curious about how to make email marketing work better for you?
Thanks to research and studies, there is a lot to learn about how email newsletters and promotions work.
So, are you ready to see what the numbers say about email marketing right now? And, more importantly, are you curious about how the numbers can improve your campaigns?
Here are some interesting and surprising statistics about email marketing that are worth considering today!
1. Emails with emojis have a 66% higher open rate than emails without them.
If you think emoji usage is only for teens on Instagram, think again.
According to data from Leanplum, there’s good reason to put emojis to work for you: Emails that include them in their subject lines see 66% higher open rates! So, when you’re crafting subject lines, ask yourself: Is there an emoji for this?
2. 53% of emails get opened during traditional 9 a.m.-5 p.m. work hours.
If you’re debating about when to send your email, here’s a tip: Don’t wait for the weekend. According to Campaign Monitor, most opens occur between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The study also found that peak open times are right before and after lunch. Catch people when they’re at their work desks — especially before or after they leave — and you have a better chance of getting their attention.
3. 320% more revenue comes from welcome emails than other promotional emails.
According to Easy SMTP, the first time you email a subscriber could be your best chance to convert him or her into a customer.
Consider the statistics: Welcome emails have a 320% higher revenue-per-email rate than other promotional emails. They also see an 86% higher open rate, a 196% lift in unique click rates and a 335% increase in transaction rate.
When it comes to email, then, think less about the long game and come in strong right out of the gate.
Your initial welcome email has a lot of potential for conversions. Use a compelling call to action that entices new readers to take action — make a purchase, join a membership community, etc.
4. Email marketing has a median ROI of 122%.
Here’s a statistic to demonstrate the undeniable power of email marketing: The practice’s median ROI (Return On Investment) is 122%, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Demand Metric.
Remarkably, this is four times higher than social media, direct mail or paid search, making email a marketing option you can’t afford to ignore.
5. 78% of consumers unsubscribe because a brand is sending too many emails.
Want to know the fastest way to turn off your email audience? Reach out too often.
According to HubSpot, 78% of consumers will unsubscribe if a brand emails too often.
While there is no universal standard for email frequency, keep in mind subscribers are more willing to receive frequent emails when they offer something with tangible valuable, such as a discount coupon.
If your unsubscribe rate is too high, prioritize a test that reduces email frequency.
6. 80% of users will delete emails that aren’t optimized for mobile devices.
With so many Internet users on mobile devices today, businesses can’t afford to ignore responsive design (that is, page design that automatically displays optimally on desktops and mobile devices).
According to BlueHornet, 80% of readers will delete email marketing that hasn’t been optimized for mobile devices.
Furthermore, 30% of users will unsubscribe from a list after receiving an email that isn’t phone-friendly. :O
7. Emails with personalized subject lines have 50% higher open rates.
Believe it or not, personalizing your emails has a dramatic impact on how recipients respond.
According to Yes Lifecycle Marketing, emails with personalized subject lines have 50% higher open rates and almost 2.5 times more unique click rates than those without them.
If you want to see more engagement with your email marketing, try using custom recipient names or recently purchased/browsed items in the subject lines!
8. Adding videos to your emails can increase click rates by 300%.
Today’s email marketing need not be limited to text. In fact, if you want to see engagement soar, you might want to go an entirely different route — make it move.
According to research from MarTech Advisor, emails with videos see up to 300% more clicks than emails without them.
Other options for adding interest include GIFs, sliders, accordions and collapsible menus.
9. 99% of consumers check their email every day.
Part of the reason email is such an effective marketing strategy is that it’s where customers are spending time.
According to DMA Insight, a whopping 99% of consumers check their email daily — some, 20 times a day, in fact.
What this means for you as a business is clear: If you want to go where your customers are, the answer is their inboxes.
This is why email marketing is a must for most businesses today.
10. 83.8% of people are using their phones to check email.
Making your emails responsive (see #6) is necessary today.
Why?
According to OptinMonster, 83.8% of people use their phones to check personal email and 34% to check business email.
In fact, the same research shows that more than half of all email gets read on mobile devices.
Conclusion
Whatever your industry, email marketing offers a powerful resource for communicating with clients, promoting products and building connections.
With that in mind, do any of the statistics above change the way you’re thinking about the strategy?
What practices might you implement to improve open rates, clicks or engagement?
Far from being dead, email marketing is alive and well — so the more you can make of it, the better for your brand.
Author bio: Shanna Mallon is a senior copywriter for Straight North, a top Internet marketing firm in Chicago providing SEO, web design and other online marketing services. Shanna has been creating online content professionally since 2007.
All the best,
Gary Nugent
Check out my Instagram posts and reels here:
Follow me (@garynugentmentoring) on Instagram
P.S.: Don't forget, if you want to create an internet income of your own, here's one of my recommended ways to do that:
Hi Gary, This is very useful as you need to be very careful how you email prospects, who can easily unsubscribe if they do not find your email of interest or value, and lose trust which has been hard won, Alan
You’re so right, Alan. There’s a delicate balancing act between getting your message out and annoying your subscribers.
Hi Gary,
Many thanks for the email marketing statistics. I have been having challenges with email marketing and these tips were really helpful. I learned a lot from them. 2 of them that I found insightful are:
– Emails with emoji’s have a 66% higher open rate
– Videos increase click rates by 300%.
They are worth using. Thanks
–
Yeah, I often use emojis in my own emails and in subject lines, though I try not to overdo it.
If there’s a way to include videos in emails, I’m not aware of that (except for animated GIFs). But I do sometimes include images with a play button overlaid that link out to videos. That still gets the higher click rates.
Speaking of videos, actually one very good way of picking up low-cost leads is by creating YouTube ads. You know those skippable ads you see at the beginning of some videos? If someone clicks the Skip Ad button, then the advertiser doesn’t have to pay for the ad display. So you’re not paying for ad impressions (as you are on Facebook, for example), but for ad views. And you can put your ads in front of specific videos if you want so you get your ad in front of very targeted people.
The other beauty of advertising on YouTube is that it’s a search engine in its own right and people are always searching for stuff to watch. Whereas Facebook shows you what it thinks you’ll be interested in (often getting that wrong) and doesn’t have a comparable search facility.
I know that’s a bit off-topic from your comment, but video is where things are heading more and more for both getting leads for building a list and for getting sales.
All the best,
Gary