By Sean Tinney Might 30, 2024
As we write our electronic mail content material, the inevitable query of “how lengthy ought to my electronic mail be?” might pop in your head.
Personally, I are likely to get a bit wordy with my emails, it’s simply the best way I talk.
So the workforce at AWeber needed to be taught as soon as and for all – how lengthy ought to your electronic mail be?
To get that reply we analyzed 1,000s of emails from 100 of right this moment’s high electronic mail entrepreneurs. Our purpose? Collect electronic mail advertising statistics that may reply how lengthy an electronic mail needs to be.
The 100 consultants we analyzed are the very best of the very best. Their electronic mail methods interact 1000’s and drive thousands and thousands in income. A lot of them see extraordinary outcomes (like 80% open charges and 30% click-through charges).
The common electronic mail size
Of the 1,000 emails we analyzed, we discovered that emails have 434.48 phrases on common. 434 phrases takes roughly 3.3 minutes to learn.
In order that’s it, your electronic mail size needs to be precisely 434.48 phrases lengthy. Not precisely.
Fact is, it actually depends upon your viewers and what you’re attempting to speak.
Why shorter emails
Greater than 50% of the emails we analyzed contained 300 phrases or much less (a 2.3 minute learn time). With folks receiving extra emails than ever earlier than, it is sensible these electronic mail consultants are sending shorter emails. One may argue that to face out to captivate your readers, shorter emails may be an excellent technique for doing so.
Henneke Duistermaat is the founding father of Enchanting Advertising and one of many 100 high entrepreneurs whose emails we analyzed. She usually sends emails with lower than 300 phrases.
“Have you ever ever heard somebody complaining they’re not getting sufficient electronic mail? Everybody’s inbox is overflowing. We’re all time-starved. So, we love succinct messages that assist us make a fast resolution: whether or not to answer or not, whether or not to click on by means of or not”
Henneke Duistermaat is the founding father of Enchanting Advertising
Why long-form emails
But, 24.1% of the emails we analyzed contained 601 phrases or extra. And 11.4% of them had greater than 901 phrases, a learn time of roughly 6.9 minutes.
These consultants stand out by sending lengthy emails filled with helpful content material, like Ann Handley. Handley is the Chief Content material Officer at Advertising Profs, a advertising training firm, and one other one of many high 100 entrepreneurs we included in our analysis.
She sends her publication TotalAnnarchy by way of AWeber. On common, her newsletters include 1,838.5 phrases, which takes roughly 14 minutes to learn.
“It’s not that long-form emails are efficient. Moderately, what’s efficient is emails which have worth for the folks in your checklist. I don’t set out each different Sunday with a purpose of writing the longest electronic mail I probably can. However I do have a purpose of writing an genuine, helpful, enjoyable letter to each subscriber on my checklist. I put my coronary heart and soul into it, and that’s why folks reply.”
Ann Handley, Chief Content material Officer at Advertising Profs
Matt Kepnes, creator and founding father of journey weblog Nomadic Matt, can be on our checklist of high entrepreneurs. He sends long-form emails as properly. On common, they include 802 phrases. As a substitute of linking off to posts on his weblog, he consists of complete articles inside his emails. These messages see excessive open and click-through charges.
“Folks will learn longer emails if the subject is necessary sufficient.”
Matt Kepnes, creator and founding father of journey weblog Nomadic Matt
How to decide on your electronic mail size
So how do you determine whether or not to ship quick or lengthy emails?
It depends upon your distinctive enterprise targets, in response to Andy Crestodina, a high electronic mail marketer and the founding father of web site consulting firm Orbit Media.
“In case your purpose is solely consciousness, lengthy or quick is much less necessary. If subscribers see it, prefer it, smile, you met the purpose! In case your purpose is site visitors, then give the recipient the minimal quantity of data wanted to determine to click on. The CTR (click-through fee) is every thing and extra textual content simply means extra noise of their inbox.”
Andy Crestodina
Listed here are a number of methods you possibly can be taught what electronic mail size your viewers desires to obtain from you.
1 – A/B break up check
Our suggestion is to check. Your electronic mail size technique needs to be based mostly on knowledge. So carry out an A/B break up check to see what size electronic mail performs greatest along with your subscribers.
2 – Ask your viewers
Each Thursday, we ship a weekly publication and in every electronic mail we’ve got a sentiment widget the place we ask our viewers “what did you consider this electronic mail”.
We get extremely helpful suggestions. Not simply on the content material, however on the size. Try what this reader of our publication needed to say:
It’s not that the e-mail is unhealthy for the content material, but it surely’s simply too lengthy. If I’m being trustworthy I see these emails each week and simply open and delete as a result of I see the quantity to learn and my mind shuts off.
This constructive criticism helps us be certain that we’re being as concise and to the purpose as potential.
E mail size pointers
So the place do you begin? The one frequent theme we received from all our advertising consultants is your electronic mail wants to supply worth to your readers. In the event you can say the identical factor with much less phrases, then achieve this.
You shouldn’t be too involved about ensuring your emails fall inside a sure phrase rely. Backside line is that if your emails include helpful content material or affords, your subscribers are going to need to learn your electronic mail regardless of the size.
You may additionally discover the size of your electronic mail varies by the kind of emails you’re sending. Listed here are three forms of emails and a few pointers you possibly can comply with:
E mail publication
Your electronic mail publication size may find yourself being your longest. Why? As a result of you’ve gotten loads of content material to share. However don’t overshare, your purpose with a publication needs to be driving site visitors to your web site or touchdown web page.
The important thing to an excellent publication size is to maintain every part temporary. Try this instance from Search Engine Journal. Total the e-mail is lengthy, however every part solely has 1 – 2 sentences. To learn extra of the content material, it’s essential to click on to their web site.
Promotional electronic mail
I might suggest preserving your promotional electronic mail’s quick. Use pictures and a powerful headline to assist talk your supply. Get to your supply shortly.
Right here’s an ideal instance from Grubhub. This electronic mail solely comprises 3 sentences. They’re attempting to drive an motion based mostly on the picture, unique supply, and name to motion.
Welcome electronic mail
Your welcome electronic mail might be quick or lengthy format, it actually depends upon how a lot data you need to share along with your new subscribers.
Listed here are two examples that present each a shorter model and longer model, that each work.
Begin creating your emails right this moment
Right here’s some further data that may encourage you to write down superb emails:
Prepared to start out utilizing this data to ship higher emails? Get began with AWeber Free right this moment.
