The State of Email Marketing in 2024: Key Statistics and Trends

Despite various claims from internet marketing experts looking to sell you their alternative, email marketing remains a critical tool for businesses in 2024.

With an astounding 4.48 billion email users worldwide, the importance of email marketing is undeniable for two reasons…

1: It’s cheap. If you’ve got a list and an autoresponder, it costs nothing more to write an email and press send.

2: It works. According to Neil Patel the ROI is $40 per $1 spent.

Here’s a comprehensive look at the latest email marketing statistics and trends for 2024, as compiled by Forbes Magazine.

Global Reach and Usage

4.48 Billion Users: Email continues to be a dominant communication channel, with 4.48 billion users globally. Projections suggest this number will rise to 4.59 billion in 2025 and 4.73 billion by 2026, underscoring the enduring relevance of email marketing.
Widespread Adoption: 81% of companies incorporate email into their marketing strategies, highlighting its effectiveness in nurturing customer relationships and driving conversions. For small businesses, 64% leverage email marketing, finding it an accessible and efficient way to engage their audience and build brand loyalty.

That 64% number blows my mind. What are the other 36% thinking??? That it’s too much work? (It’s not). That they’ll make too much money? That email marketing is dead? As long as people are using email, it will still be a great way to communicate with your prospects and make sales.

Marketing Effectiveness

Prevalence Among Marketers: One-third of marketers utilize email marketing, with nearly 90% planning to maintain or increase their spending on email campaigns, demonstrating its high ROI and effectiveness in driving sales.
Impactful Channel: Half of the marketers surveyed consider email marketing their most impactful channel due to its ability to generate high engagement and conversion rates.

A third of marketers use email marketing and 90% plan to. Do you see the possibilities here? So if you have a desire to become an email marketing consultant to businesses, the field is wide open and ready for your assistance.

Engagement Metrics

Average Open Rate: The average open rate for email marketing campaigns is 36.5%. Faith-based organizations and childcare services lead with open rates above 44%, indicating highly engaged audiences.
Click-Through Rates: The average click-through rate stands at 1.4%, with technology services and transportation services achieving rates of 2.6%. This highlights the importance of targeted content and timely messaging.

Build a tribe of enthusiastic fans and you can reach that 44% yourself. Make your brand something people love (Think Apple) and people will eagerly open your emails. (You can attract your target market more effectively when you know how to create a lead magnet.)

Bounce Rates

Low Bounce Rates: The average bounce rate for email campaigns is 10.4%. Repair and maintenance services boast the lowest bounce rate at 4.9%, indicating strong engagement and relevance.

Personalization and Frequency

Personalized Emails: Emails that are personalized see a 26% increase in open rates. Additionally, 83% of customers are willing to share their data for personalized experiences, highlighting the value of tailored communication.
Email Frequency: Over half of businesses send emails two to four times per month, balancing regular engagement with audience tolerance.

If your email messages are relevant to your readers, then you can send emails as often as you like. Remember, it’s never about what you want to say in your emails and it’s always about what your subscribers want from you. Place a sign over your desk to remind you, “What in it for your subscriber?”

Optimal Timing

Best Time to Send: The most effective time to send email campaigns is Tuesday at noon, optimizing for recipient receptiveness and attention.

Sure, let’s all send emails at the same time. I don’t think so. If you want to send an email on Tuesday at noon, go for it. Just realize everyone else is doing the same so you’ll need to work harder to stand out. In addition to Tuesday at noon, try sending at other times when there is less competition for eyeballs in the inbox.

Usage Statistics

Daily Email Volume: An astounding 361.6 billion emails are sent daily, projected to reach 408.2 billion by 2027.
Frequent Checking: 88% of people check their emails daily, with 39% doing so three to five times a day.

Send an email in the morning and resend it in the afternoon to everyone who did not open the morning email. This way you double your chances of being seen in the inbox.

Device Preferences

Mobile Dominance: 41% of email views come from mobile devices, making mobile optimization crucial for engagement.
Millennial Preferences: 59% of Millennials primarily use their cellphones to check email, emphasizing the need for mobile-friendly designs.

Test to see how your emails look on mobile before sending. Do this every time.

B2B and B2C Insights

B2B Effectiveness: 81% of B2B marketers use email marketing, with 73% considering it the most effective way to contact prospects. Additionally, 77% of B2B buyers prefer email for communication.
B2C Engagement: Abandoned cart emails achieve an open rate of 50.5%, and automated flows generate up to 30 times more revenue per recipient.

Half of abandoned cart emails get opened, so make it good. Make it VERY good. Tweak and test this email to get as many customers as possible going back to that cart and checking out.

ROI and Revenue

High ROI: Email marketing delivers an average return of $36 for every dollar spent, with global revenue expected to reach $12.33 billion in 2024.
Industry Leaders: Marketing, PR, advertising, retail, e-commerce, and consumer goods see the highest email marketing ROIs.

$36 or $40 per every dollar spent – whatever the number, it’s BIG. If you hand me a dollar and I give you back two $20 dollar bills, how long would you play this game? Most likely until you dropped from fatigue. You can play this game any time you like when you build and nurture your own email list.

Automation and AI

AI Integration: 47% of email marketers use AI for campaign creation, with top use cases including content personalization (50%), retargeting (47%), and subject line optimization (47%).