Discover Over 25 Essential Cold Email Statistics for the Year 2024

Are you using generic cold email templates to send cold emails? Stop right there. 

Sending generic email templates to win customers in the age of personalization is as irrelevant as Orkut today. In fact, by doing so, you are potentially harming your company’s goodwill and a lot of valued customers. 

By now, you must be thinking what’s in anyway? Do marketers still use cold emails? If yes, how to write cold emails to generate prospective customers? 

In this article, we bring you 25+ ultimate cold email stats you must know in 2024 to write cold emails that supersedes your competitors. We have also added pro tips to step up your cold emailing game up a notch. 

General Cold Email Statistics

Let’s start with some general cold email statistics before delving deep into subject line, preview text, follow ups, deliverability, open rates, and more. 

1. Sending cold emails to multiple prospective clients from the same email address increases reply rates by 93%. 

A Backlinko study stated that bulk cold cold emails sent from the same email address improves reply rates by 93%. 

Mainly because it improves deliverability rates, increasing the chances of reaching your prospects’ inboxes. The more your emails land on the primary folder, the more reply rates they will generate. 

Despite the popularity of social media platforms as marketing channels, email offers a significantly higher ROI. If we talk about percentage, it comes down to an astounding 4400%. Whereas, social media marketing has a significantly lower ROI generation rate of 28%.  

Here is an informative guide you must read: B2B email marketing best practices to improve ROI. 

2. 1.5x more people use email over social media platforms. 

Statista survey shows that around 2.5 billion people use social media/month. It means that businesses should use social media platforms as a high-converting marketing tool. 

But this sodesn’t mean email has gone out of fashion. In fact, another stat from Satista proves that there are approximately 3.7 billion active email users worldwide/month, which is almost 1.5x the number of social media. 

It means that marketers can reach a wider audience base than social media with email. 

3. 80% of consumers prefer email as their primary business communication channel. ‍

If you think about it, it makes total sense. People are too busy to spend 30 minutes on cold calls hearing about products/services they might not need and social media DMs seem too personal (and intrusive) for sales pitches. 

These factors make email a perfect communication channel for marketing and sales processes. 

Email leaves room for personalization, gives the prospect time to think about the offer, and get back to you at their convenience. 

4. Sales reps spend one fifth of their day writing emails. 

According to HubSpot data, an average sales rep spends 21% of their day writing cold emails. It means they write cold emails, reply to prospects’ queries, and set up meetings. 

The same study also revealed that in work hours, a sales rep spends 17% of their time in data entry, 17% in prospecting/researching leads, and 12% in scheduling meetings. 

There are many automation tools and cold email tools that can perform all these jobs more efficiently and in less time, letting sales reps actually focus on selling.

Smatlead lets you set custom conditional email sending triggers and it writes human-like personalized emails with its AI-powered writing tool. It also 7x your chances of booking meetings with prospects. 

Cold Email Subject Line Statistics

The subject line of your cold email can decide the fate of your cold outreach campaign’s success. Let’s take a close look at some important cold email stats: 

5. Personalized subject lines generate 50% higher email open rates. 

Any marketers would agree that personalization greatly impacts the result of a cold email outreach campaign. 

A Yes Lifecycle Marketing study reveals that personalized subject lines in cold email campaigns see 50% more open rates, confirming the above speculation. 

The same report also confirmed that only 2% of emails use personalized subject lines. It means a big array of opportunity lies there for email marketers. 

Besides your email copy, personalize your subject lines if you want to improve your open rates, increasing reply rates and conversions. 

Here are some tried and tested examples: 

• “{Common connection} suggested we connect”
• “Nice talking to you at {event name}”
• “Did you get what you were looking for?” 

For more excellent subject line ideas, check out 80 Cold Email Subject Lines to Increase Your Response Rate.

6. 33% of people open emails based on the subject line. 

This data again proves the authority of the previous stat: as a marketer, you need to focus on subject lines to get more email open rates, replies, and conversions. 

So if your email subject line is generic and spammy, no prospect will bother to open them. Make sure you personalize your subject line based on pain points, demographics, and Ideal Customer Profile. 

For example, you can trigger FOMO, create urgency, or use humor to convince your audience. 

7. Prospect’s company name in the subject line improves cold email email open rates by 22%. 

This is the most popular way to personalize your cold email subject lines. An Outreach study has revealed that email subject lines with prospects’ company names can increase email open rates by 22%.

Prospects immediately identify these emails related to their jobs, which means they will be more likely to open them.

Here are some examples: 

• “{Prospect’s company name} + {Sender’s company name} = Higher revenue”
• “Collaboration with {company name}”

8. Including numbers in subject lines increases open rates by 113%. 

Numbers offer assurance, that’s why it’s very effective to get attention. This is one of the reasons you opened this blog post, didn’t you? 

The same applies for email subject lines. A YesWare data proves that cold email subject lines including numbers get approximately 113% more email opens. 

So, if you are looking to improve email open rates for your cold email campaigns, strategically include numbers in your subject line. 

For example: 

• “X tips to improve customer engagement”
• “X minutes to get {result}”
• “Get X% higher conversions”

9. Questions in subject lines get a 21% increase in email open rates. 

Questions intrigue curiosity, that’s why it works for cold email subject lines. Asking a question to your prospect is a great way to make them open your email and respond. 

The same study published by Yesware stated that questions in subject lines get a 21% increase in cold email open rates. 

Here are a few examples: 

• “Is this a good time to talk?” 
• “Have you checked {product name}?”
• “Are you satisfied with {competitor company}?”

Cold Email Open Rate and Reply Rate Statistics

The success of a cold email campaign is measured by its email open rate and reply rate. Let’s take a close look at the interesting email open and reply rates and see how you can improve them. 

10. 23.9% of all sales emails are opened. 

As per the subject line stats, it’s established that only a few sales emails are opened and read. In fact, a huge number of your cold emails will land in spam folder/ junk (detected by spam filters) or get deleted by the email recipients.  

On that note: read how to stay away from spam filters for maximum deliverability. 

A Gartner data shows that only 23.9% of all sales emails are opened worldwide. Considering this data, it’s obvious that you need to put extra effort in crafting your subject lines so they can generate a higher email open rate. 

Here’s a detailed guide on how you can improve cold email open rates to increase conversion rates. 

11. 24.45% of all emails are opened on mobile devices. 

Although most of the email opens happen on computers, the number of emails opened in mobiles is going up. 

According to GetResponse, 24.45% of all emails are opened in mobiles. This data indicates that your emails have to be optimized for mobiles to see a higher response rate. 

12. Only 8.5% of cold emails get responses. 

As only 23.9% of all cold emails are opened, it’s expected for cold email response rates to be lower than that. According to a Backlinko survey, only 8.5% of all cold emails get responses. 

However, this number is not absolute. Your prospects might not reply because they are busy, your offer is not applicable for the time being, or may have overlooked them.  

Whatever the reason might be, you must follow-up with your prospects to convert them into customers. 

13. Multi-point personalization improves cold email reply rates by 142%. 

Adding multiple personalization fields in your cold email can convince your prospects to take action, thus increasing reply rates. 

A Woodpecker study has shown that highly personalized cold emails (personalized messages and subject lines) can increase reply rates up to 142%. 

There are many ways of personalizing an email message, including fields like: 

Name

Designation and duties

Mutual connection

Location

Hobby

Favorite sports

Cold Email Follow-Up Statistics

14. 80% of all sales take at least 5 follow-ups.

According to a HubSpot survey, 80% of all sales happen after 5 follow ups and more. This clearly indicates that if you don’t get a reply from your prospects after your initial email , you shouldn’t get disappointed. 

Keep following up with your prospects and value add for them. Here are a few ways you can follow up: 

Case studies

Customer testimonials

Limited period offers

Humorous break up email

Read How to write the best-performing follow-up emails for step-by-step guidance. 

15. Saying ‘I never heard back’ reduces meeting bookings by 12%. 

The last thing you want to make your prospects feel is guilt. Your prospect is in no obligation to reply to your email or book a meeting. 

Saying ‘I never heard back’ can have a negative impact on your meeting booking rates and can reduce it by 14%, says data from Gong.  

Your follow-up emails should follow the ‘no-pressure approach’ and instead of pushing your prospects, you should constantly add value to their queries to build trust and credibility. 

Cold Email Best Timing and Date Statistics

16. 75 out of 100 cold emails are opened within the 1st hour of sending them. 

As emails are directly linked to people's jobs and businesses, it’s normal for an average person to check their inbox multiple times a day. 

According to Yesware data, 75% of all cold emails are opened within 1 hour of sending them. 

17. Best day to send emails: Monday and Tuesday

As weekends work as a cooling-off period for businesses, the first two days of a week are the most effective for email outreach. 

According to a Yesware survey, emails sent on Monday and Tuesday see the highest reply rates. 

Emails sent on Wednesday and Thursday also receive a relatively higher reply rate than the weekends. 

18. Emails sent between 1 pm - 3 pm see highest replies

As we have already decided on the best days to send cold emails in a week, let’s see what is the perfect time of the day to send emails.

If you send a cold email at 10 pm on Monday, you shouldn’t expect higher reply rates. Likewise, a prospect is more likely to reply when it’s sent during business hours. As per a study by Yesware, cold emails sent between 1 pm to 3 pm generate maximum replies. 

So, it’s best if you send cold emails on Monday and Tuesday within 1-3 pm.

19. Emails sent on Friday see the lowest reply rates. 

The same study by Yesware states that emails sent on Fridays see the lowest reply rate and click-through rate. So, it’s safe to say that sending emails on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is a bad email marketing strategy. 

Miscellaneous Cold Email Stats

20. On an average, cold email unsubscribe rate is 2.17%. 

According to QuickMail data, the average unsubscribe rate for cold sales emails is 2.17%. 

On that note, business emails or bulk emails must contain an ‘Unsubscribe/opt-out’ button for the receivers according to the CAN-SPAM act, GDPR, and other internet regulations. 

21. On an average, 7.5 emails out of 100 get bounced back. 

Higher cold email bounce rate is a nightmare for email marketers. Although you should aim for keeping it within 4%, a QuickMail data shows that the average email bounce rate is 7.5%. 

Smartlead sends unlimited warm ups to your clients so your campaign’s bounce rate is lower than the alarming number. It also keeps your email lists clean (list of prospects), weeding out dormant, fake, and personal email addresses and keeps hard and soft bounces as low as possible. Also, segmented emails increase email deliverability rates. 

22. Including ‘Hope this finds you well’ increases the chances of meeting bookings by 24%. 

Although it sounds superficial and gimmicky, including ‘hope this finds you well’ or ‘hope all is well’ in a cold email significantly increases reply rates and your chances of booking meetings by 24%, no matter what your personal opinion is.  

Even when you are personalizing an email message for your prospect, make sure you add such phrases to increase conversions. 

23. A bit twisted, but emails that include ‘What is your thought on {topic}?’ garners higher reply rates but loses the chances of booking a meeting by 20%. 

This might be an excellent way of engaging with your clients, but luring them into the sales process is sneaky. If you truly want your prospects to engage in conversations, asking about their though makes sense. 

But if you are trying to engage them with sales reps with this technique, it will surely increase yoru reply rates, but decrease your chances of booking meetings significantly. 

24. Direct and interest based call-to-actions are twice more effective than asking for opinions/views. 

Interest based CTAs see a 30% success rate, which is twice the rate for any other types of CTA.

Here’s why: although your email is straightforward, the data you are using (ROI talk) to backup your claim might not intrigue yoru prospects. Also, as it doesn’t focus on soliving problems for yoru prospects, this kind of email fails to build trust among prospective clients. 

That’s why it’s important to focus on your rpsopects’ pain points and the solutions you can offer in the initial cold email. Always remember that customers buy/subscribe based on their emotions, not cold facts. 

Another interesting finding says that talking about ROI reduces the success rate of cold emails by 15%. 

25. Using emojis in your subject line can increase cold email open rates by 8%. 

Although arguable, a Nielsen Norman Group survey states that uing emojis have the same kind of impact on a prospect’s eye as using questions in the subject line. 

In a prospect’s POV, this works a friendly way to engage with a client and it offer affirmative emotion towards the brand 

For example: 

“{prospect’s name}, ready for a call? 🤔”

“We have the solution to {pain point} 😁”

26. Subject lines that include cold prospects’ first names gerner an average of 43.41% reply rates. 

This is a no-brainer, as we all know that using a prospect’s first name in the subject line draws attention and works as a great personalization point, thus improving reply rates. 

For example: 

“{Prospect’s name}, are you the right person to talk?”

“{prospect’s name}, take a break from {pain point}” 

27. A cold email body with more than 4 sentences (around 150 words) see 15x average response rate than other types. 

This is a bit tricky. Many marketers are confused between the two terms: ‘concise’ and ‘short’. ‘Concise’ means brief and articulate, while ‘short’ is about the length. 

You can write a short email of 30-50 words and be relevant. But if you need to add value to your prospected customers, don’t shy away to write an email around 150 words. 

Longer emails work best if they are offering real value. 

Conclusion

Creating a cold email strategy based on these findings is a great idea, but here’s the harsh truth for you: if you are thinking of generating the same results by chalking a foolproof strategy from these data-driven findings, you are wrong my friend. 

Although these findings say a lot about cold emailing in general, your business’s success depends on a few other things. The success and most importantly, the numbers will depend on the industry you are in, target audience, brand identity, business model, customer demographics, etc. 

That's where A/B testing comes in as you can test your campaigns to see which one is working and which is not. So, follow your guts, research your industry and potential customers, and make use of your creativity to create excellent cold emailing campaigns. 

FAQs

What is considered a good open rate for cold emails?

According to recent cold email statistics, the average open rate of cold emails is only 23.9%. According to Yes Lifecycle Marketing study, personalized email subject lines boost open rates by 50%. However, the average cold email open rates vary based on the industry you are working in.

How do cold email open rates differ from warm email open rates?

Cold emails are sent to a new sales prospect you have no prior connection with, whereas warm emails mean sending a more personalized, targeted, and strategic email s sent to recipients you have already built a connection with. That's why, naturally, the cold email open rate for warm emails tend to be higher than cold email open rates.

What factors can influence the open rate of cold emails?

Several factors can influence the open rate for cold emails, including the quality of the subject line, relevance of the content, timing of the email, and the reputation of the sender's domain. The average open rate for cold emails varies by industry but is generally around 15-25%. A good open rate is typically considered to be above 20%, but the effectiveness of a campaign should also be evaluated based on other metrics like click-through rates and conversions.

What's the industry average response rate for cold emails?

The industry average response rate for cold emails varies but is generally considered low. A typical cold email success rate hovers around 1% to 5%. However, what constitutes a good reply rate for cold emails can depend on factors such as the industry, target audience, the subject line, and the quality and relevance of the email content.

How can I increase my cold email response rate?

To increase your cold email response rates, consider the following tips:

Personalization: Tailor your emails to each recipient, mentioning specific details about their business or role.

Compelling Subject Lines: Craft engaging subject lines that pique curiosity and encourage recipients to open your email.

Clear Value Proposition: Clearly communicate the value you offer and how it addresses the recipient's needs or challenges.

Brief and Focused Content: Keep your emails concise, highlighting the most important information and benefits.

Call-to-Action (CTA): Include a clear and actionable CTA that guides recipients on the next steps to take.

Follow-Up Strategy: Implement a well-timed follow-up sequence to stay on the recipient's radar without being too pushy.

A/B Testing: Experiment with different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, content, or CTA, to identify what resonates best.

Segmentation: Target specific audience segments with tailored messaging, addressing their unique pain points.

Optimize Send Times: Test and determine the optimal times to send your emails for increased visibility and response.

Email Verification: Ensure your email list is accurate and up-to-date to minimize bounce rates and improve deliverability.

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all response rate, as it varies across industries. However, consistently applying these strategies can contribute to a higher cold email success rate.

Are there tools that can help me track and improve my cold email metrics?

Yes, there are several tools designed to track and enhance your cold email metrics. Some popular options include Smartlead, Yesware, Mailchimp, and Outreach. These tools provide insights into cold email open rates, statistics, and overall performance, allowing you to analyze data and optimize your email outreach strategy. The average cold email open rate can vary, but these tools help you monitor and improve your metrics for more effective outreach campaigns.

How does personalization impact cold email open and response rates?

Personalization significantly influences cold email open and response rates. According to cold email statistics, emails tailored to the recipient's interests, preferences, or specific details have higher open rates compared to generic messages. The average cold email open rate tends to improve when the content resonates with the recipient, creating a more personalized and engaging experience. Including relevant information, addressing the recipient by name, and demonstrating a clear understanding of their needs can contribute to increased open rates and better overall cold email stats.

What can a low open or response rate indicate about my cold emailing strategy?

A low cold email response rate may indicate that your cold emailing strategy needs refinement. Factors such as ineffective subject lines, unclear value propositions, or irrelevant content may contribute to a lower response rate. A good reply rate for cold emails can vary, but on average, industry benchmarks suggest response rates of 1-3%. To improve your cold email success rate, consider optimizing your messaging, personalizing outreach, and ensuring relevance to your target audience. Regularly analyze and adjust your strategy based on performance metrics to enhance engagement and increase your cold email response rate.