Email may not be new, but it’s still popular among Internet users. In fact, 3.9 billion users sent email messages in 2019 and that number is expected to balloon to 4.3 billion by 2023, according to Statista. Almost every industry relies on email, with marketers using email to send exclusive offers, customer support messages, order tracking updates, useful articles, apologies, important warnings and essential business updates — the list is nearly endless. Email statistics and interesting facts about email confirm it’s accessibility and versatility. For instance, did you know…
1. Usage Statistics Show Most People Check Their Emails on Mobile Devices
The way in which people check email is shifting. Before smartphones were ubiquitous, most people read emails on desktop computers. However, a recent study confirms an interesting fact about email: Now approximately 55% of emails are opened on mobile devices first. This is an email content marketing statistic that’s particularly important if you’re designing emails for upcoming campaigns. If you are still focusing on developing email marketing strategies for the outdated desktop model, you are not only going to disappoint a large segment of your mobile-focused customer base, but you may also find that your competition moves ahead of you.
2. Most Email is Spam
Unfortunately, emails aren’t always relevant or valuable. Email statistics indicate that most are actually spam. While trends indicate the global spam rate is steadily decreasing each year, Statista concluded that spam messages accounted for 54.68 percent of email traffic in September 2019, down from the previous figure of 55 percent in 2018 and 69 percent in 2012. The largest generator of unsolicited spam messages in the world was China which made up 20.43 percent of global spam volume.
3. Email Statistics Indicate the Medium is Growing in Popularity
The rise of messaging apps and related services hasn’t threatened email’s dominance as the primary form of Internet-based communication. Email usage statistics attest to the contrary; as we stated above, experts predict 4.3 billion people throughout the globe will be using email by 2023. This year, 81 percent of small businesses said that they still rely on email communication as their primary acquisition channel, with 80 percent saying they also rely on email for retention.
4. Office Workers Receive a Lot of Emails
Email statistics reveal the average office worker will receive 121 emails every single day. Thus, it’s important that subject lines be crafted to catch a reader’s attention. In 2019, 293.6 billion emails were sent and received daily, with that figure anticipated to increase to a whopping 347.3 billion by 2022. It may be harder than ever to stand out in the inbox, but email marketing best practices will help you catch the eye of your recipients.
5. There’s a Key Reason People Unsubscribe from Email Lists
People have many different reasons for unsubscribing from email newsletters and lists. However, surveys routinely confirm one interesting fact about email: that most people unsubscribe from lists primarily because they already receive too many emails in general, and don’t want their inboxes to be cluttered up. However, don’t be discouraged or think that people don’t want to see your brand’s emails; 49 percent of consumers surveyed by Statista said that they would like to see promotional emails from their favorite brands on a weekly basis.
6. Among Email Statistics, Bounce Rates Remain Fairly Low
An email “bounces” when it’s sent to an invalid address. Fortunately, a study of numerous major industries indicates the average email bounce rate is 1.06%.
That’s not to say email marketers don’t have to worry about guarding against a high bounce rate. A high bounce rate can harm their sender reputation, preventing their content from reaching valid inboxes in the future.
7. Email is the Preferred Communication Tool for Professionals
Surveys reveal an important fact about email: Most professionals (approximately 63%) still consider email to be the best communication tool for their needs.
8. An Interesting Fact About Email Open Rates
Content marketers must determine how many emails to send every week/month to optimize open rates. Surprisingly, sending one email a month appears to yield the strongest open rate, at 25.24%.
9. Boosting Conversions is Easier Than Expected
Most email marketers know that a welcome email (sent when a new subscriber signs up for their list) helps to boost engagement. What they might not realize is that sending a series of welcome emails, instead of simply one, boosts conversions by 23%.
10. Here’s an Email Fact: Video Boosts Click Rates
Video content is growing in popularity online and that extends to email marketing, too. For instance, statistics show that click rates rise by 300% when emails contain videos. Video emails have a practical application for email marketers because they allow for a large amount of information to be condensed and digested in a relatively short amount of time. Videos are dynamic and they keep viewers attentive and keyed in. It’s reported that the average video retains 37 percent of its viewers until the very end. Further, videos are highly shareable, allowing your readers to become more engaged with your brand and spread your message on your behalf. Embedding video in emails routinely results in an uptick in brand awareness as shared video content may reach consumers that are not even on your subscriber list.
Whether you’re a content marketer, or simply someone who likes to know how people behave online, these interesting email facts and statistics are certainly worth keeping in mind as we start the next decade!