Factors Affecting Email Engagement

The email marketing service Campaign Monitor did a survey of 400 consumers on how they want to engage with brands through email. And it’s got some interesting stuff.

Email Personalization Increases Likelihood To Buy

A significant portion of the respondents somewhat agree that personalization will make it more likely for them to buy from an email.

Table: Email engagement rates for specific questions

But I’m like: What does personalization mean? I think that means a lot of things to different people, like having your name in the To field. Is that personalization? Yeah.

Personalized content: Do I get more content of the type that I’ve been consuming already? Personalization of catalog emails, personalization based on past purchases? I mean, Amazon does this all the time, and that’s true personalization.

Known Sender Is A Major Factor For Opening An Email

But one of the biggest indicators of whether customers will purchase is, not surprisingly, how familiar they are with the brand, right?

The most important thing that will get somebody to open any email is it coming from known sender and this is along those lines, as well. So what Campaign Monitor suggests is having a strong welcome sequence to your new subscribers, so they become familiar with your brand.

But lastly, they asked the respondents to rank the emails they’re most likely to open. And in order they are:

  • A personal correspondence. So obviously, I get an email from you, BL, I’m going to open it up because I know you.
  • A promotional offer, sale, or discount from a familiar brand. Again: known sender.
  • New product from a brand I love. Known sender.
  • A newsletter that I anticipate every week. Again, known sender.

Other Factors Making People More Likely To Buy

Promotional offer, sale, or discount from an unfamiliar brand.

Now we’re getting into territory where they’re willing less likely to open.

  • Content that feels created just for me.
  • Tips and tricks that will improve my life.
  • Emails with interesting subject lines.
  • Insider information about a product or industry I’m interested in.
  • And lastly, content from a blog I follow.

It is a B2C survey. So it’s not specifically B2B but there are things that you can learn from it. There’s a lot more findings there with examples, so be sure to visit and check it out.

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