E-mail Stats Every B2B Marketer Should Know
Some facts and figures to consider when planning e-mail marketing budgets and campaigns for the coming year.
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of discussing B2B e-mail campaigns at ClickZ Specifics: E-mail Marketing conference. To my chagrin, I wasn’t able to stay and listen to the rest of my colleagues’ presentations.
That was my loss, because the speakers always offer up a treasure trove of e-mail knowledge.
Luckily, a week later, I received an e-mail with a link to the presentations, which I eagerly reviewed.
From these PowerPoint presentations, I mined some terrific statistics that I want to share with you to guide your e-mail marketing decisions in the coming year.
From “The E-mail of the Future” presented by Jeanniey Mullen, global executive director, OgilvyOne Worldwide, who gave the keynote:
- E-mail delivers the highest ROI (define) among marketing vehicles by an eye-popping margin: a whopping $57.25 for every dollar spent on it in 2005, according to the Direct Marketing Association’s “The Power of Direct Marketing”(October 2006).
- E-mail is delivering sales at an average cost per order of less than $7, compared to $71.89 for banner ads, $26.75 for paid search and $17.47 for affiliate programs, according to Shop.org’s “State of Retailing Online 2007” (September 2007).
- Prediction: By 2009, 60 percent of e-mails will not be read inside the inbox. E-mail will be read on mobile devices, handhelds, inside social networks, RSS readers, browser toolbars, and via phone.
From “Cut Through the Clutter Creatively” presented by Blue Sky Factory CEO Greg Cangialosi:
Jupiter Research reported:
- 35 percent of e-mail users open messages because of what’s contained in the subject line.
- Including the company name in the subject line can increase open rates by up to 32 percent to 60 percent over a subject line without branding.
User stats from Marketing Sherpa 2007 show:
- 64 percent of key decision-makers view your carefully crafted e-mails on their Blackberries and other mobile devices.
- 69 percent of at-work users usually view their e-mails in preview panes.
- 59 percent of online consumers routinely block images.
From “You’ve Got Their E-mail Address — Now What?” by Jeanne S. Jennings, online marketing consultant:
According to Marketing Sherpa, November 2006:
- B2B e-mail newsletters are typically sent:
- Once a week: 11.9 percent
- Once a month: 33.9 percent
- Less than once a month: 42.4 percent
- B2B e-mail promotions are typically sent:
- Once a week: 5.8 percent
- Two to three times a month: 21.2 percent
- Once a month: 36.5 percent
- Less than once a month: 32.7 percent
From “Beyond Direct: E-mail Branding & Relationships to Build Business,” these facts:
- 81 percent of U.S. executives subscribe to industry e-mail newsletters for product information and business intelligence (Wall Street Journal).
- 60 percent of business decision makers said Internet and e-mail are the best ways for advertisers to reach them (Jupiter Research).>
Next year, I hope to hear all these presenters in person. In the meantime, I’ll bring these statistics into my creative discussions and 2008 client planning meetings!
What statistics do you rely on most to make e-mail marketing decisions? Let Karen know for future columns.
