The power of cold email outreach cannot be understated. Compared to other marketing channels, it results in the highest ROI when done properly. In this post, we’ll cover key statistics that can help shape your cold email campaign with new techniques you can use to your advantage.
Why Cold Emails Are So Effective
There are over 3 billion email users today, with the average person checking their work email several times daily outside of work. Coupled with the fact that sending an email only takes up time in terms of cost, cold emailing can be one of the most powerful ways for a business to expand its network and brand.
What makes cold email marketing even more effective is its measurability. Open rates, link click tracking, deliverability, bounce rates, and other metrics are all valuable data that marketers can use to scale and improve their approach to cold outreach.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power and reach of cold emails. Let’s take an in-depth look at what the numbers say in more detail.
Cold Email Statistics on Subject Lines
The subject line is the first impression a cold email makes. It can make or break an outreach attempt, as we’ll see in the following statistics.
Short, Catchy Subject Lines Improve Open Rates
The subject line is the first impression and only gets one chance. Reports show that 69% of people report emails as spam simply from the subject line alone.
A short and intriguing subject line improves open rates. Subject lines between 6–10 words performed the best with an open rate of 21%, more than double the open rate of subject lines with 21–25 words.
Personalized Subject Lines Get 50% Higher Open Rates Than Non-Personalized Ones
Personalized subject lines are a simple but incredibly effective cold email tactic, with open rates 50% higher than non-personalized subject lines.
Adding a prospect’s name, their company name, or mentioning something relevant to them or in common between you are all ways to personalize a subject title.
Including a Question in a Subject Line Results in 21% Higher Open Rates
Asking a question builds intrigue and can increase open rates to 21%, which is beyond great by cold email standards. Some example questions are:
- Hey {{firstName}}, thoughts on this?
- {{firstName}}, can we connect?
- Ready to discuss {{pain point}}?
Including Numbers in Subject Lines Increase Open Rates up to 113%
Numbers, especially uneven, specific ones, can result in a 113% open rate when included in a subject line.
That’s because numbers grab attention, especially if connected to a relevant pain point, listicle, or goal.
Subject Lines Around 45 Characters Yield Better Results
Reports show that 47% of consumers use mobiles to check their email. That’s one reason why subject lines around 45 characters were proven to have better open rates than longer ones as more can be seen on smaller screens.
Cold Email Statistics on Open/Reply Rates
Now let’s take a look at open and reply rate statistics to get a better idea of what to shoot for.
A/B Split Testing Emails Helps Improve Open Rates
A/B split testing involves sending two different versions of the same email to two groups to measure open rates and engagement. Split testing your emails can help narrow down to the best performing email and increase open rates by 49%.
Emails Sent at 1 PM During a Workday Have the Highest Reply Rate
The second best time is 11 PM, according to a report by Yesware which analyzed hundreds of thousands of sent email activity.
On the opposite side of things, emails sent between 8 PM–7 AM received the lowest reply volume.
Business Emails Sent on Weekends Get the Lowest Open Rates
It’s no surprise that weekends yield the lowest open rates since that’s when people normally disconnect from work. One thing to consider is weekends can differ from country to country, particularly in the Middle East and Asia.
Emails Sent on Fridays Have the Lowest Reply Rate
Friday is when most people wrap up their tasks for the week and get ready for the weekend, which understandably will result in a lower reply rate compared to other weekdays.
Open Rates Average Between 15.22 to 28.46% Across All Industries
It’s natural that open rates differ from one industry to the next. Knowing the average open rates for your industry can help set a realistic benchmark to compare results for your outreach campaign.
Cold Email Statistics on Follow Up
We’ve covered subject lines and open/reply rate statistics, but perhaps the most important aspect of cold emailing is follow-ups.
Multiple Follow-Ups Can Triple Cold Email Response Rates
Once past the stage of cold emailing, the next step email marketers significantly downplay is sending multiple follow-up emails. One report shows that having a 4-7 email follow-up sequence can more than triple response rates.
70% Of Salespeople Stop at One Email
Sending one cold email is a tiny step of a sales or outreach cycle but is a step 70% of salespeople stop at. Simply sending one follow-up email can increase the chances of hearing back by 25%.
60% Of Customers Say No Four Times Before Saying Yes
This statistic doesn’t mean follow-up emails should pester a prospect into finally saying yes but rather demonstrates how many times people can reject an idea before opening up to it. A follow-up email explores problems, encourages connection, and continues the conversation with prospects.
Key Takeaways
Cold emailing is a powerful marketing tool, especially when based on a strategy backed by hard data, as the numbers show. Knowing the best time of day to send emails, how to create the right subject line, and how many follow-ups to send are all data-backed techniques you can use with confidence to build a results-driven outreach campaign.