E M A IL
M A R KE TI NG
O PT IM I ZAT ION
A RESEARCH-BASED GUIDE FOR MARKETERS

Research Series Conducted in Partnership with Leading Providersof Marketing Technology and Digital Marketing Agency Services.

2

TABL E O F CO N T E N TS
4.

Email Marketing Optimization

9.

Pre-Launch Testing

5.

Achieving Objectives

10. Subscriber Inactivity

6.

Email Strategy Success

11. Most Effective Automations

7.

Focus for Improvement

12. Ascend2 Research Programs

8.

Email Volume Trends

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

3M E THO DO LOGYSURVEY R ES PO N D EN TS

Ascend2 benchmarks theperformance of marketingstrategies, tactics and thetechnology that drives themwith a standardized online
questionnaire and a proprietary
3-Minute Survey format.

Primary Marketing Channel

This survey was fielded to a panelof marketing professionals andmarketing research subscribers.

B2B

31%

B2C

40%

B2B and B2C equally29%

Number of Employees
More than 500

34%

50 to 50026%

Fewer than 50

40%

Primary role in company
Owner / Partner / C-Level

38%

Vice President / Director / Manager

48%

Non-Management Professional14%4

EM AIL MA RKETI NG OPTI M IZAT IO N
Email marketing has been evolving fordecades and still remains one of the mostactionable touchpoints along the customer
journey today.
But how are marketers optimizing theiremail strategy to keep audiences engaged
despite flooded inboxes?
To help answer this question, Ascend2 andour Research Partners fielded the EmailMarketing Optimization Survey. We thank the298 marketers who responded to this survey
during the week of December 13, 2020.

This Survey Summary Report, titled
Email Marketing Optimization, representsthe opinions of all the market segments
responding to the survey. Specific market
segments from the survey are reported
on separately and exclusively by ourparticipating Research Partners.
This research has been produced for youruse. Put it to work in your own marketingstrategy. Clip the charts and write about
them in your blog or post them on socialmedia. Please share this research credited aspublished.

e!

Click her

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RESEARCH

5ACHI EVI NG OBJECTIV ES
The importance of keeping email subscribers engaged with relevant and valuable content cannot beunderstated, but it proves to be a major challenge for 45% of marketing professionals surveyed. Reducing
SPAM complaints, leading to better deliverability rates, and capturing new subscribers for an email list arealso difficult objectives according to 37% and 34% of marketers, respectively.
WHAT ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT OBJECTIVES TO ACHIEVE WHEN OPTIMIZINGAN EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY?
MAINTAINING AN ENGAGED LIST

45%

REDUCING SPAM COMPLAINTS

37%

INCREASING EMAIL LIST SIZE

34%

ACHIEVING MEASURABLE ROI

33%

INTEGRATING EMAIL DATA WITH OTHER SYSTEMS

29%

LEVERAGING PERSONALIZATION EFFECTIVELYOPTIMIZING FOR MOBILE

28%

22%

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

6EM AI L STRATEGY SUCC E SS
When executed strategically, email can have a massive impact on overall marketing performance. Over
one-third (38%) of marketers describe their email marketing strategy as very successful. 50% of thosesurveyed report seeing some success when it comes to email marketing achieving important strategic
objectives, but would not label this success as best-in-class.
HOW SUCCESSFUL IS YOUR (OR YOUR TYPICAL CLIENT’S) EMAIL MARKETINGSTRATEGY AT ACHIEVING THE GOALS SET FOR IT?
UNSUCCESSFUL
12%

VERY SUCCESSFUL(BEST-IN-CLASS)
38%

SOMEWHAT
SUCCESSFUL
50%

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

7

FO CUS FOR I MPROVEM E N T
Quality data allows marketers to deliver more personalized, targeted content to email subscribers.
Marketers report that in order to optimize email most effectively, personalization (43%) and data quality(39%) should be priorities for improvement. Developing better email design and messaging are also mostimportant characteristics to improve for effective optimization according to about one-third of marketers.
WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS TO IMPROVE FOR
EFFECTIVE OPTIMIZATION?
PERSONALIZATION43%

DATA QUALITY

39%
34%

EMAIL DESIGNMESSAGING

33%

TYPES OF CONTENT

28%

CALLS-TO-ACTION (CTAS)

23%

AUTOMATIONTESTINGSEGMENTATION

21%
16%
15%

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

8EMAI L VOLUME TREN D S
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of marketers expect to send more emails in the year ahead than they did inthe past 12 months. About half of that group describes this increase as significant. One-in-five of thosemarketers surveyed have no plans to change the volume of email campaigns sent in the coming months
while only 6% report an expected decrease in email volume.
HOW WILL THE VOLUME OF SENT EMAIL CAMPAIGNS BE CHANGING IN THE
YEAR AHEAD?
38%
36%

20%

EMAIL VOLUME IS
INCREASINGSIGNIFICANTLYEMAIL VOLUME IS
INCREASING
MODERATELYEMAIL VOLUME IS
STAYING THE SAME

3%3%EMAIL VOLUME IS
DECREASING
MODERATELYEMAIL VOLUME IS
DECREASINGSIGNIFICANTLY

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

9PRE-LAUNCH TESTI N G
Pre-deployment email testing is critical to delivering high-quality, engaging campaigns. 43% of marketers
report that email design is the most important attribute to test prior to hitting the send button.
Deliverability and subject line testing also rank high on the list of importance according to 36% and 35% ofmarketing professionals, respectively.
PRIOR TO LAUNCHING EMAIL CAMPAIGNS, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT
ATTRIBUTES TO TEST?
DESIGN43%

DELIVERABILITY36%

SUBJECT LINES

35%

SUBSCRIBER VERIFICATION

32%
31%

ACCESSIBILITY
28%

SENDER REPUTATION/SPAM SCOREHTML VALIDATION

DEVICE/EMAIL CLIENT DISPLAY

25%
23%

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

10SUBSCRI BER I NACTI V ITY
Depending on industry and marketing channel, average subscriber engagement can vary. But what isthe appropriate amount of time to let a subscriber remain inactive before removing them from an email
marketing list? An 84% majority of marketers find it to be best practice to wait longer than one month
before removal, and one-quarter (25%) report waiting more than one year.
HOW LONG SHOULD A SUBSCRIBER BE INACTIVE BEFORE REMOVING THEM
FROM AN EMAIL MARKETING LIST?

31%
28%
25%

16%

1 MONTH OR LESS

2 - 6 MONTHS

6 - 12 MONTHS

Email Marketing Optimization Survey
Conducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

MORE THAN 1 YEAR

11MO ST EF F ECTI VE AUTOM AT IO N S
From which automation series are marketers seeing the most engagement from their email subscribers?
Welcome or thank you email series are reportedly the most engaging for nearly half (49%) of thosesurveyed. Automated series involving a survey or feedback from their audience can also be effective forengagement according to 46% of marketers.
WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AUTOMATED SERIES TO USE FOREMAIL ENGAGEMENT?
WELCOME/THANK YOU

49%

SURVEY/FEEDBACK

46%

RE-ENGAGEMENT

32%

REMARKETING

31%
30%

PERSONAL EVENT
21%

TRANSACTIONALONBOARDING

ABANDONED CART

18%
15%

Email Marketing Optimization SurveyConducted by Ascend2 and Research Partners
Published January, 2020

12RESEARCH-BASED MARKETING FOR
MARKETING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
Receive a Research-Based Content Blueprint thatprovides proven strategies on how to demonstrate
thought-leadership, engage prospects, acquire newcustomers, and generate media coverage.

Research studies by BuzzSumo, MarketingProfs, and eMarketer finds thatoriginal research is the #1 type of content to engage prospects and convert
leads to sales. Find out how you can add research to your marketing mix.

GET STARTED WITH A FREE STRATEGY SESSION13MARKETING POWERHOUSES USE ASCEND2 RESEARCHPUT THIS CONTENT TO GOOD USE!
This Survey Summary Report is part of a series conducted in partnership with ourparticipating Research Partners.
You may adapt, copy, distribute and transmit this work. However, you must attribute thework as produced by Ascend2 and its Research Partners, but not in any way that suggeststhat they endorse you or your use of the work.
When you share this content, please provide a link back to ascend2.com