Email marketing remains an indispensable communication channel for small business in 2024, with 4.37 billion users sending over 300 billion messages daily. Yet cutting through the noise poses an immense challenge. As a digital marketing advisor to numerous thriving SMBs, I‘ll illuminate the latest trends you must factor into your email strategy – while sprinkling in recommendations for standing out from the crowd.
Who‘s Using Email Today?
Let‘s establish the sheer scale of the email landscape.
Globally, 4.37 billion people now use email actively. While momentous, this pales against the 5+ billion internet users and 8 billion global population today. Regionally, North America boasts the highest adoption at 87% versus 60% in Europe and just 29% in Africa. Predictions see user numbers continuing upward by 2-3% annually, implying complete saturation remains distant.
And these billions of inboxes see extraordinary volumes.
Over 300 billion emails traverse the internet daily. That‘s ~87 per person! Unsurprisingly, 49% of users feel overwhelmed. While advances have culled the spam deluge, 53% of emails still qualify as such. And growth marches on, with projections of 400 billion daily by 2025.
Opportunities Abound, If You Know Where to Look
These aggregates intimidate, but crucially obscure differences across demographics. For SMBs, realities diverge starkly from average trends. Consider data from Mailchimp‘s Global Email Benchmark Report:
- 18-29 year olds have 11% higher open rates and click 4x more than those over 50.
- Education and tech sector emails see nearly 50% more opens than B2B or automotive.
- Short emails (100-250 words) achieve 180% the click rate of longer counterparts.
I counsel clients to rigorously analyze audience and vertical specifics in substituting averages. Remember, SMBs possess inherent advantages over big brands in intimacy and trust. Who you send to matters immensely.
Master Mobile to Own the Future
As connectivity proliferates across devices, portability reigns supreme. Already, 46% of emails are opened on mobile – a share rapidly ascending given 67% of internet users now connecting via smartphones first.
Critically, mobile optimization remains pitifully poor. Litmus finds 60% of companies still don‘t have mobile-friendly templates. And 21% of emails use coding that breaks on mobile! This leaves gaping opportunities. With strategic adjustments, SMBs can cater perfectly to modern readers. I guide clients through key mobile best practices, including:
- Responsive templates rendering smoothly across all devices
- Concise content and clear calls-to-action for small screens
- Preference centers and sign-up flows optimized for fingertips
Follow these and you‘ll sail past outdated competitors. Take control of where your audience will increasingly use email – on the go!
The mobile explosion highlights a broader reality. Today‘s consumers demand engagement on their – not your – terms. Meeting soaring expectations mandates syndicating email content across websites, social promotion, and integration with CRM journeys. Allow subscribers to engage deeply regardless of channel.
In Closing
Email‘s centrality for marketers cannot be overstated despite changing tides. Apply intelligence in targeting and send times, get mobile right, and synergize across touchpoints – then even a humble SMB can thrive. Master these areas and the difference multiplies exponentially.
I hope examining key statistics helps convey why email remains vibrant while injecting new complexities. You cannot afford leaving this engine idle! I look forward to further discussing how bespoke strategies can propel your business growth. Let me know any questions in the comments!
