Email marketing has been the most effective online marketing tool for the last decade. When it comes to lead nurturing and customer relationship management, email marketing beats social media, SEO and content marketing hands-down. While a diverse approach to marketing is always smart, it’s no wonder marketers want control over database of email addresses rather than lists of followers or anonymous visitors. In a world of segmentation and walled gardens, email has remained free, cross-platform and device-agnostic. When you consider that 91 percent of the world’s 2.4 billion email users check their inbox at least once each day, it’s no wonder email remains one of the most cost-effective ways for business to discover, convert and maintain customer relationships. We took a look at a number of studies, reports and surveys to help put email in perspective. The results speak for themselves. Enjoy!

1. 2.4 BILLIONNUMBER OF EMAIL USERS IN 2013

2. 3.6 BILLIONNUMBER OF EMAIL ACCOUNTS IN 2013

3. 2.7 BILLIONESTIMATED NUMBER OF EMAIL USERS BY
2017

4. 3.9 BILLIONESTIMATED NUMBERS OF EMAIL
ACCOUNTS BY 2017

5. 6%ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF EMAIL
ACCOUNTS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

6. 182 BILLIONEMAILS SENT PER DAY IN 2013

7. 207 BILLIONESTIMATED NUMBER OF EMAILS SENT PER
DAY BY 2017

8. 838 BILLIONMARKETING EMAILS THAT WERE SENT IN
2013

9. 54%EMAILS SENT BY BUSINESSES THAT ARE
MARKETING MESSAGES

10. 91%CONSUMERS WHO CHECK THEIR EMAIL AT
LEAST DAILY

11. 74%ONLINE ADULTS WHO PREFER EMAIL OVER
DIRECT MAIL FOR COMMERCIAL
COMMUNICATIONS

12. 1.7%AVERAGE CLICK-THRU RATE FOR B2B
MARKETING EMAILS IN Q2 2013

13. 60%MARKETERS WHO BELIEVE EMAIL IS AN
ROI-PRODUCING ACTIVITY

14. 66%ONLINE CONSUMERS THAT HAVE MADE A
PURCHASE AS A RESULT OF AN EMAIL

15. 71%CONSUMERS AGED 45-54 THAT HAVE MADE
A PURCHASE AS A RESULT OF AN EMAIL

16. 4,300%EMAIL MARKETING'S ROI

17. 48%EMAILS OPENED ON MOBILE DEVICES

18. 11%MARKETING EMAILS THAT ARE MOBILE
RESPONSIVE

19. 33%EMAIL RECIPIENTS THAT OPEN EMAILS
BASED ONLY ON THE SUBJECT LINE

20. 40%B2B MARKETERS THAT RATE EMAIL
MARKETING LEADS AS HIGH QUALITY

21. 80%CONTENT MARKETERS THAT USE EMAIL
MARKETING

22. 15%IN-HOUSE MARKETERS WHO ADMIT THEIR
EMAIL MARKETING IS POOR

23. 23.63%EMAILS OPENED WITHIN AN HOUR OF
BEING RECEIVED

24. 49%BUSINESSES THAT ARE TESTING THE
RIGHT DAY AND TIME TO SEND THEIR
EMAILS

25. 2PM - 5PMTIME OF DAY WHEN MOST EMAILS ARE
OPENED

26. 10PM - 9AMTHE WORST TIME TO SEND EMAILS

27. 187%INCREASE IN AVERAGE REVENUE PER
EMAIL RECIPIENT FOR EBAGS AFTER
OPTIMIZING THE BEST TIMES TO SEND

28. 22.3%OPEN-RATE INCREASE WITH
PERSONALIZED SUBJECT LINES

29. 70%BRANDS THAT DON'T PERSONALIZE THEIR
EMAILS

30. 55%COMPANIES THAT GENERATE MORE THAN
10 PERCENT OF SALES FROM EMAIL

31. 8%COMPANIES THAT GENERATE MORE THAN
HALF OF SALES FROM EMAIL

32. 50%MARKETERS WHO SAY THE QUALITY OF
THEIR EMAIL DATABASE INHIBITS
SUCCESSFUL MARKETING

33. 49%MARKETERS WHO CLEAN THEIR EMAIL
LISTS ON A REGULAR BASIS

34. 26%MARKETERS WHO PERSONALIZE EMAILS

35. 20%COMPANIES THAT SEND ABANDONED
SHOPPING CART EMAILS

36. 27%COMPANIES THAT DON'T OPTIMIZE THEIR
EMAILS

37. 74%COMPANIES WHO REGULARLY TEST EMAIL
STRATEGIES THAT REPORT A POSITIVE
ROI

38. 33%MARKETERS WHO DON'T KNOW IF THEIR
EMAILS ARE READ ON MOBILE DEVICES

39. 25%COMPANIES THAT OPTIMIZE THEIR EMAILS
FOR MOBILE DEVICES

40. 90%MARKETERS WHO SAY THEY DON'T SPEND
ENOUGH TIME ON SUBJECT LINES

41. -18.7%DECREASE IN CLICK RATES WHEN THE
WORD 'NEWSLETTER' IS USED IN SUBJECT
LINES

42. 61.8%INCREASE IN CLICKS WHEN USING THE
WORD 'ALERT' IN SUBJECT LINES

43. 7.5%AVERAGE CLICK RATE IN THE SECURITY
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INDUSTRY

44. 4.4%BOUNCE RATE FOR COMPANIES THAT
SEND EMAILS LESS THAN ONCE PER
MONTH

45. 0.5%BOUNCE RATE FOR COMPANIES THAT
SEND EMAILS MORE THAN ONCE PER
WEEK

46. 13.2%OPEN RATE OF EMAILS WITH
PERSONALIZED CONTENT

47. 12.9%OPEN RATE OF EMAILS WITH
PERSONALIZED SUBJECT LINES

48. 5.3%OPEN RATE OF EMAILS THAT USED BOTH
PERSONALIZED SUBJECT LINES AND
CONTENT

49. 15.8%OPEN RATE OF EMAILS WITH SUBJECT
LINES BETWEEN FOUR AND 15
CHARACTERS

50. 2.6%CLICK RATE OF EMAILS WITH SUBJECT
LINES BETWEEN FOUR AND 15
CHARACTERS

51. 1.6%CLICK RATE OF EMAILS WITH SUBJECT
LINES GREATER THAN 16 CHARACTERS

52. 15%PERCENTAGE OF THE AVERAGE
MARKETING BUDGET SPENT ON EMAIL

53. 92%BUSINESSES THAT USE EMAIL TO SHARE
INFORMATION AND NEWS ABOUT THEIR
COMPANY

54. 3,489AVERAGE SIZE OF AN EMAIL DATABASE
FOR COMPANIES WITH ANNUAL REVENUE
BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $50 MILLION

55. 25%COMPANIES WITH AN ANNUAL REVENUE BETWEEN
$1 MILLION AND $50 MILLION THAT HAVE LESS
THAN 1,000 PEOPLE IN THEIR EMAIL DATABASE

56. 21%COMPANIES WITH AN ANNUAL REVENUE BETWEEN
$1 MILLION AND $50 MILLION THAT HAVE MORE
THAN 10,000 PEOPLE IN THEIR EMAIL DATABASE

57. 6%COMPANIES THAT SEND EMAILS TO THEIR
ENTIRE LIST EVERY DAY

58. 10%COMPANIES THAT SEND EMAILS TO PART
OF THEIR LIST EVERY DAY

59. 39%COMPANIES THAT SEND EMAILS TO THEIR
ENTIRE LIST ONCE PER WEEK

60. 64%COMPANIES THAT INTEGRATE EMAIL
MARKETING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

61. 74%COMPANIES THAT MEASURE EMAIL
SUCCESS BY LEADS GENERATED

62. 72%COMPANIES THAT MEASURE EMAIL
SUCCESS BY ACTUAL SALES

63. 84%COMPANIES THAT USE EMAIL TO SOLICIT
FEEDBACK FROM CUSTOMERS

64. 28%AVERAGE GOAL FOR ANNUAL GROWTH OF
EMAIL LISTS

65. 11%BUSINESSES WHO SAY THE COST OF
ACQUIRING NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS IS
TOO HIGH

66. 50%COMPANIES WHO COORDINATE EMAIL
MARKETING WITH EVENTS LIKE TRADE
SHOWS

67. 48%COMPANIES WHO COORDINATE EMAIL
MARKETING WITH DIRECT MAIL

68. 34%COMPANIES WHO HAVE A TEAM
DEDICATED TO EMAIL MARKETING

69. 20%COMPANIES WHO HAVE ASSIGNED EMAIL
MARKETING TO ONE PERSON

70. 9%COMPANIES WHO OUTSOURCE EMAIL
MARKETING TO AN AGENCY

71. 43%EMAIL RECIPIENTS WHO MARK MESSAGES
AS SPAM BASED ON THE 'FROM' ADDRESS
AND SENDER NAME

72. 21%EMAIL RECIPIENTS WHO MARK EMAIL AS
SPAM WHEN THEY KNOW IT ISN'T

73. 17%AMERICANS WHO CREATE A NEW EMAIL
ADDRESS EVERY SIX MONTHS

74. 9%INCREASE IN ROI IF MARKETERS
OPTIMIZED EMAIL FOR IMAGE BLOCKING

75. 84%PERCENTAGE OF ALL EMAIL THAT IS SPAM

76. $156 MILLIONPERCENTAGE OF ALL EMAIL THAT IS SPAM

77. 10%ANNUAL GROWTH OF EMAIL MARKETING
SPENDING

78. 82%CONSUMERS WHO OPEN MARKETING
EMAILS

79. 24%LITMUS EMAILS OPENED ON IPHONES

80. 72%PEOPLE WHO CHECK THEIR EMAIL IN BED

81. 87%PEOPLE WHO CHECK THEIR PERSONAL
AND WORK EMAIL TOGETHER

82. 3.3%PEOPLE WHO READ THE SAME EMAIL ON A
MOBILE DEVICE AND A DESKTOP
COMPUTER

83. 17 - 22 PTRECOMMEND RANGE OF FONT SIZES FOR
MOBILE EMAILS

84. 46 PXRECOMMENDED MINIMUM SIZE FOR
BUTTONS IN MOBILE EMAILS

85. 63%PERCENTAGE OF EMAIL LISTS THAT ARE
INACTIVE

86. 18.3 KBSIZE OF THE AVERAGE EMAIL

87. 0.25%AVERAGE UNSUBSCRIBE RATE

88. 82%CONSUMERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR
EMAIL PROGRAMS ON BRAND WEBSITES

89. 53%CONSUMERS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR
EMAIL ADDRESS TO A SALES CLERK

90. 28.5%CONSUMERS WHO HAVE SUBSCRIBED TO
AN EMAIL PROGRAM IN A MOBILE APP

91. 14.5%CONSUMERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR
AN EMAIL PROGRAM VIA TEXT MESSAGE

92. 72%CONSUMERS WHO SIGN UP FOR EMAILS TO
GET DISCOUNTS

93. 8.2%CONSUMERS WHO SIGN UP FOR EMAILS
BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE BRAND

94. 74.4%CONSUMERS WHO EXPECT A WELCOME
EMAIL WHEN THEY SUBSCRIBE

95. 35.4%CONSUMERS WHO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM
EMAILS BECAUSE THEY ARE SENT TOO
FREQUENTLY

96. 14%CONSUMERS WHO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM
EMAILS BECAUSE THEY ARE TIRED OF THE
BRAND

97. 52.9%CONSUMERS WHO NEVER 'OPT DOWN'
(CHANGE EMAIL FREQUENCY OR TYPE
AFTER UNSUBSCRIBING)

98. 60%B2B MARKETERS THAT HAVE USED VIDEO
IN THEIR EMAILS

99. 3XEMAIL CONVERSION RATES ARE THREE
TIMES HIGHER THAN SOCIAL MEDIA

100. 17%DIFFERENCE IN VALUE BETWEEN EMAIL
CONVERSIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
CONVERSIONS