EMAIL by the Numbers

When it comes to email marketing success, relationships matter.

According to Yesmail's recent report, "Email Marketing Compass: A Year in Review," 53 percent of recipients who opened or clicked an email message in the last three months have been subscribed to a marketer's mailing program for more than a year, followed by 3-12 months (26 percent) and within the last 90 days (21 percent).

Active subscribers like these are also opening more emails than ever (the number of opens for each active subscriber has increased by 6 percent year-over-year), despite the fact that Yesmail data indicates that the inbox continues to fill up (the number of emails being sent to subscribers has grown by more than 9 percent year-over-year). Email open rates on the whole, however, are trending down to just 3 percent.

The decision to click is becoming an even more selective act according to Yesmail. Active subscribers are consistently (and increasingly) opening, but clicking a lot less frequently. To combat this trend, Yesmail advises marketers, especially during the holidays, to strive to increase the size of their active database by segmenting their subscribers based on activity (e.g. last opened/clicked) and tenure (e.g. how recently a subscriber has opted into a marketer's email program). This practice can be very helpful in terms of email deliverability, which is even more of a challenge during the holiday season when frequency of mailing can increase by up to 30 percent, according to Yesmail data.