We have great news! Email marketing is embraced and highly used by consumers of all ages, according to the “2016 Consumer Views of Email Marketing” report by Mapp (formerly the email service provider BlueHornet).

These findings and more are based on a survey of 1,765 consumers between the ages of 18 and 64 living throughout the U.S.

Email marketers can rejoice that consumers continue to welcome marketing emails in their inbox, but they should also listen up because consumers are expecting more from us than we are delivering. Remember that preference center you haven’t built yet? Or the big 1-1 personalization project you’ve been talking about? It’s time to commit to making it happen in 2017. Consumers are increasingly expecting marketers to use the data they are collecting to deliver what they want to see in the inbox rather than what you want to send. On to the results:

Email Consumption Via Smartphone Is Still on the Rise

Survey respondents report they are checking email on smartphones in growing numbers. Nearly 72 percent use a smartphone to read email, a 7 percent increase from 2015. Millennials are more likely than older adults to check email on smartphones. Not surprisingly, 91 percent of respondents check email on desktop and laptop computers. These statistics underscore the need to design email that functions and looks great on both mobile devices and computers. Learn more about mobile email design options.

Consumers Actively Manage Their Inbox Throughout the Day

Nearly a third of consumers report they check email actively throughout the day — no surprise in this hyper connected world! Sixty-one percent of consumers report checking their email more than four times a day.

Preferred Frequency Varies

Just because they’re checking email frequently does not mean consumers want to be receiving email all that frequently. A large portion of survey respondents — almost 41 percent — prefer a weekly cadence. About 8 percent of respondents said they want daily emails from companies, and 14.5 percent want email multiple times per week. Monthly frequency was also popular with almost 20 percent of consumers preferring this cadence. The take-home message for marketers — know your audience and test and segment your list for frequency preferences. It’s a smart idea to provide subscribers with the option to control their own frequency through an email preference center. The survey found that 40 percent of consumers who click unsubscribe would consider remaining on the subscription list if they could reduce the frequency of the emails they receive.

Marketing Emails Drive Sales

Sixty percent of those surveyed said marketing emails influence their purchase decisions. These emails serve as a reminder to shop, leading subscribers to purchase more after they receive the email. Marketers should take note of the following key findings:

Preferred Special Offers Vary by Consumer’s Age

Just last year, consumers reported their favorite special offer was free shipping. This year, only 55-64 year olds preferred that incentive. Younger shoppers report they prefer dollars off or percentage off discounts.

As a Result of Email, Consumers Purchase on a Monthly Basis

Email shoppers — the 60 percent of consumers who say email influences their purchases — are most likely to make a purchase on a monthly basis. Almost 47 percent say they purchase once a month. Thirty percent purchase once a year, and 21 percent purchase multiple times a month.

Consumers Expect Personalized Emails

If you are collecting data about your subscribers, you should be using it to personalize each subscriber’s email. Almost 77 percent of consumers expect their marketing messages to be personalized based on the interests they gave in their profile. They also expect companies to know and acknowledge what they’ve purchased on their website. Birthdays, browse history and gender are also key data points consumers expect marketers to use to personalize email.

Download the Full Report

See all the results of “Mapp’s 2016 Consumer Views of Email Marketing,” including data on video consumption within email, mobile shopping statistics and consumers’ social media behavior. Download the report.

Schedule a strategy session with Katey Charles Communications to learn how you can apply this data to your email marketing program. Call 314-918-8088 or email for more information.