With the communication revolution, emails have become a ubiquitous method of communication across various industries. For some, composing an email can be an art form. How long should an email be? There is no set answer to this question, but it’s important to consider the implications of email length on readership and open rates. In this article, we examine the data to better understand the impact of email length on open rates and present some tips to help you write more effective emails.

The prevalence of folk wisdom surrounding email length

There are countless examples of advice on the ideal length of an email. A quick online search yields numerous articles on the subject, often offering a prescribed number of words that an email should have. However, much of this advice is subjective, without any real data behind it. We need to look at data to get a clear and precise idea of how long an email should be.

There is no straightforward answer to the question of how long an email should be. It depends on the message being conveyed, the audience, and the context. Moreover, there are always trade-offs. Longer emails can provide more context and information, but they can also be overwhelming for the reader. On the other hand, shorter emails may not provide enough information or context.

Data collection

To better understand the impact of email length on open rates, we collected data on one hundred thousand bulk emails sent from Buttondown over the last twelve months. We calculated the word count of each email and rounded it to the nearest hundred to create our dataset.

Data analysis

Our data showed that there was no clear correlation between the word count of an email and its open rates. Emails that ranged from 50 to 2500 words had roughly similar open rates of around 30%. However, there was a slight dip in the open rate for emails exceeding 2500 words. This finding is not surprising since longer emails can be intimidating and time-consuming for the reader.

Caveats to consider in interpreting the data

It’s important to keep in mind that our dataset only includes bulk emails. Personal emails may have a different response rate. Moreover, the audience and context of the email are also essential factors to consider when evaluating the ideal email length. Therefore, these findings are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but they can be useful as a starting point.

The interesting findings

Our data revealed that there is no linear relationship between email length and open rates. The most effective emails tend to be of the appropriate length for their content and audience. Therefore, the goal is to write the correct number of words for your email. This finding supports the idea that shorter isn’t always better, and longer is not necessarily worse, but relevance and clarity are crucial.

The Importance of Writing the Correct Number of Words in Your Email

It’s important to tailor the length of your email to the content and audience. Including irrelevant information can lead to a lack of focus, and readers can quickly lose interest in the email. Conversely, if you don’t provide enough information, your email may not fulfill its intended purpose. Therefore, the aim should be to create an email that is neither too long nor too short but is of the correct length to convey the intended message effectively.

In conclusion, the optimal length of an email does not depend on a set number of words or complex algorithms. Instead, it comes down to the context and the resulting relevance of the email. The goal is to keep your email concise, clear, and on-point, while providing enough context and information. Our findings have important implications for both professional and personal email usage, and encourage further exploration into this essential area of communication.

Explore more

Why Should Leaders Invest in Employee Career Growth?

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, a staggering statistic reveals the stakes of neglecting employee development: turnover costs the median S&P 500 company $480 million annually due to talent loss, underscoring a critical challenge for leaders. This immense financial burden highlights the urgent need to retain skilled individuals and maintain a competitive edge through strategic initiatives. Employee career growth, often overlooked

Making Time for Questions to Boost Workplace Curiosity

Introduction to Fostering Inquiry at Work Imagine a bustling office where deadlines loom large, meetings are packed with agendas, and every minute counts—yet no one dares to ask a clarifying question for fear of derailing the schedule. This scenario is all too common in modern workplaces, where the pressure to perform often overshadows the need for curiosity. Fostering an environment

Embedded Finance: From SaaS Promise to SME Practice

Imagine a small business owner managing daily operations through a single software platform, seamlessly handling not just inventory or customer relations but also payments, loans, and business accounts without ever stepping into a bank. This is the transformative vision of embedded finance, a trend that integrates financial services directly into vertical Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms, turning them into indispensable tools for

DevOps Tools: Gateways to Major Cyberattacks Exposed

In the rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, DevOps tools have emerged as indispensable assets for organizations aiming to streamline software development and IT operations with unmatched efficiency, making them critical to modern business success. Platforms like GitHub, Jira, and Confluence enable seamless collaboration, allowing teams to manage code, track projects, and document workflows at an accelerated pace. However, this very integration

Trend Analysis: Agentic DevOps in Digital Transformation

In an era where digital transformation remains a critical yet elusive goal for countless enterprises, the frustration of stalled progress is palpable— over 70% of initiatives fail to meet expectations, costing billions annually in wasted resources and missed opportunities. This staggering reality underscores a persistent struggle to modernize IT infrastructure amid soaring costs and sluggish timelines. As companies grapple with