18 Email Marketing Statistics Proving Email Isn't Dead

You created a blog, have social media profiles and are using these platforms to promote your small business.

Sure, you may get leads here and there. But once they convert, they're never to be seen or heard from again.

And then what happens to those that don't convert? Unfortunately, you may never get a second chance to recapture their attention and nurture them into a sale.

This is where email marketing comes in.

With email marketing, you can build relationships with prospects and turn them into customers. And then you can turn your current customers into repeat business.

But if this isn't enough to convince you email marketing is alive and well, then take a look at these 18 stats.

Everyone's Using Email (Even Your Grandma)

Some will argue email is a dead channel because:

Social media.

Who needs this slow platform when you have the fast-paced Twitter and Facebook to connect with customers? Well, the numbers say otherwise.

Not only are older people using email, but the youngsters are using it as well.

We have 91% of people between 15 and 24 using email and nearly 86% of folks 65 and older.

But what if you're targeting teens? Well, more than 75% of them are using email. 

And just so you know -- 73% of millennials prefer email communication and 90% of people in America (over 15) are using this platform regularly.

Speaking of which...

Consumers Are Checking their Emails More than Once a Day

One thing businesses may worry about is whether they're emails will get opened. So they focus on testing various times to send them out.

The good news is people are checking their emails throughout the day.

We have over 99% of consumers checking their emails daily. And more than 50% of Americans checking their emails over 10x per day.

If you think that there would be a drop in email usage because of the rise of mobile -- think again.

Mobile Users Make Up a Large Chunk of Email Opens

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have made it easier for people to stay connected. So wouldn't it make sense that people would be checking their emails on the go?

Exactly.

And that's what the numbers show:

Mobile accounts for 61% of all email opens. If this trend continues, you'll have more mobile users than desktop subscribers. Now, if your small business is targeting other businesses, then you'll be happy to know that 35% of professionals check their emails on mobile.

It's also worth noting that iPhone is the most popular device for checking emails, accounting for nearly 29% of all opens.

The takeaway -- make sure your emails are mobile-friendly!

Email Marketing Isn't Just for B2B Companies

Business-to-consumer (B2C) companies are seeing amazing results with email marketing. We find that 80% of B2C companies stating that email marketing boosts customer retention rates.

And the feeling is mutual on the consumer side -- nearly 60% of people say marketing emails influence their purchases.

The question now is, what does the ROI look like for email marketing?

Email Marketing ROI is Undeniably Impressive

No marketing strategy is worth investing in if it's not going to generate a return. Now, what makes email marketing a popular option for small and medium-sized businesses is that it produces a high return.

You can see as much as $44 back from every $1 spent on a campaign. That's a staggering 4,400% ROI -- no other strategy generates these types of results (as of 2019).

For over 59% of marketers, email is the biggest revenue source.

Plus, email marketing is simple to attribute sales to (wish we could say the same for social media).

Now that we've mentioned it...

Social Media Can't Compete with Email Marketing

You may find some business owners using social media to drive traffic to their companies. And it can actually work.

But does this override the benefits of email marketing?

Au contraire.

Once again, the numbers don't lie. Not only do they show that the conversion rate for email is 4.29% (compared to social media's 1.81%), it also trumps other sources, including search and direct visits.

This is likely because 72% of people prefer to receive promotions via email (compared to 17% for social media).

If you thought Facebook could help spread the word:

Messages are 5x more likely to be read via email than on Facebook.

Consumers Want to Read Emails from Brands

One mistake businesses make when marketing is blasting prospects with unwanted adverts. Today's consumers have ad blindness, which makes it even harder for brands to get their message noticed.

With email marketing, you're being invited by consumers to send information and promotions to their inbox.

Roughly 61% of consumers say they prefer to receive emails from brands (compared to other channels). And now that people desire personalized experiences with brands, you'll have to ensure your content is tailored to the audience.

When done right, 80% of business professionals say email marketing helps keep customers longer.

Breathe Life into Your Email Marketing

If you're not already using email marketing, then now is always a great time to start collecting emails. And if you already have a campaign that's not faring so well, then it's time to make some improvements.

The key is to focus on delivering content your audience wants. Don't oversaturate them with promotional emails.

As a rule of thumb, you should use the 80/20 rule:

Twenty percent of your content should be promotional, while the remaining 80% should be informational.

If you can win the trust of your audience, then they'll always look forward to your emails!