Getting your email length just right is a fine art. Too long and recipients tune out. Too short and you fail to communicate.
Learn research-backed strategies to find the ideal word count sweet spot for higher open rates, click-throughs, and conversions.
Why Email Length Matters
In today’s world of information overload and shortened attention spans, email length is more important than ever.
According to a study, the average person receives over 100 emails per day. Couple that with our diminishing attention spans, and people now spend only an average of 11 seconds reading each email!
So if your email is too long, chances are high it will be swiftly discarded or deleted without being read. On the flip side, make it too short and you risk not effectively communicating your message.
The ideal length is somewhere in the middle – long enough to get your point across but short enough to keep people engaged. Here’s why email length matters:
Short Attention Spans Favor Concise Emails
Let’s face it – we live in an age of information overload with a myriad of distractions constantly fighting for our attention.
It takes tremendous focus to stay attentive to any one task or piece of content for an extended period of time. Just think about how often you’ve abandoned an online article or video halfway through because you got bored or sidetracked.
Email is no exception. According to research by Litmus, the average attention span for reading email is a mere 12-14 seconds.
That doesn’t leave much room for lengthy diatribes. The more concise and scannable you can make your email, the better chance it has of being read and retained.
Save the long-form content for your blog or resources page. Use email primarily as a tool to deliver short, impactful messages that prompt action.
Mobile Optimization Necessitates Brevity
Here’s another reason to keep it short and sweet – mobile optimization.
Consider that over half of all emails today are opened on mobile devices.
Trying to read long blocks of text on a tiny smartphone screen is a chore that most users actively avoid. They’re more prone to quickly scanning for key information or deleting the message altogether.
In addition, many mobile email clients truncate emails to preview just a few lines of text initially. So your core message needs to be immediately visible to entice the reader to click “Read more.”
HubSpot notes that emails with the mobile-optimized preview length of around 125 characters tend to see higher open rates on mobile.
Keeping your emails tight, scannable and focused on a single CTA makes them more accessible and actionable for mobile users.
Bloated Emails Increase Spam Risk
Here’s one more downside of long, wordy emails – they’re more likely to get flagged as spam.
Why is that? Excessive length is sometimes associated with over-the-top marketing claims or other “spammy” characteristics that put your email at risk of getting blocked.
According to Durkham & Qwerty, a 2022 analysis found that the average commercial spam email is around 4,100 words. Genuine emails, on the other hand, contain about 59-206 words on average.
So if your email starts bordering on novella status at 500+ words, you may risk inadvertently getting lumped in as a spammer.
Keeping your emails focused, scannable, and in that sweet spot of under 200 words will optimize engagement and minimize issues with spam filters.
The verdict is clear – shorter is better when it comes to crafting effective emails. Avoid verbose diatribes and get straight to the point with a targeted message optimized for today’s on-the-go, short attention span world.
What’s your take? Have you found shorter emails tend to perform better, or do you have success sometimes with longer-form messages? Let me know in the comments!
Studies on the Ideal Email Length
When it comes to pinpointing the optimal email length, we can turn to data for helpful guidance. Several studies have analyzed response rates, open rates, and other metrics to shed light on the ideal word count.
Here’s a run-down of what three key studies have uncovered about the relationship between email length and performance:
Boomerang Study: 75-125 Words for Max Response Rate
One of the largest and most comprehensive studies on email length comes from Boomerang, a productivity app that integrates with Gmail.
In 2016, Boomerang published an analysis of over 40 million emails to determine which factors influence response rate. One clear correlation they found was between email length and responses.
Here’s how response rate broke down across different email word counts:
- 10 words: 36% response rate
- 25 words: 44%
- 50 words: 50%
- 75 words: 51%
- 100 words: 51%
- 125 words: 50%
- 150 words: 49%
- 175 words: 49%
- 200 words: 48%
The key takeaway? Emails with 75-100 words had the highest response rates, with a “sweet spot” of 75-125 words.
Once emails exceeded 500 words, the response rate dropped to 44% and stayed steady until hitting 2,000 words.
So according to this large-scale analysis, the ideal length for maximizing email responses is 75-125 words.
Constant Contact: ~200 Words for Higher CTR
Email marketing platform Constant Contact performed an analysis specifically looking at the correlation between email length and click-through rates.
Their findings? As the number of lines of text increased, so did CTR, up to a point. Emails achieved peak CTR at around 20 lines of text, which equates to approximately 200 words.
After passing the 20-line/200-word mark, CTR steadily declined as emails became longer.
This data suggests that around 150-200 words may be the sweet spot for optimizing click-through rate. Anything shorter than 100 words or longer than 250 words starts to see diminishing CTR.
General Findings: 50-200 Words Outperforms Long Emails
Looking at multiple studies holistically, we can conclude:
- Ultra-short emails (below 50 words) tend to underperform.
- Long-form emails (500+ words) see lower open, CTR, and response rates.
- The 50-200 word range consistently outperforms longer emails.
- Response rates tend to peak between 75-125 words.
- CTR shows a slight preference for 150-200 word emails.
While results aren’t unanimous, the data points to an ideal length of 100-200 words for balancing strong click-through and response metrics.
Emails in the 50-125 word range excel specifically for garnering responses, while ~150-200 words may be optimal for CTR. But in general, shorter emails within the 50-200 word sweet spot outperform extremely long or short emails.
Key Takeaways on the Ideal Email Length
- For maximum response rates, 75-125 words is ideal
- To optimize CTR, target 150-200 words
- Overall, 50-200 words beats longer emails on open & click-through rates
- Ultra-short emails (<50 words) risk being too vague or brief
Keep these evidence-based insights in mind as you refine the length of your email campaigns. Test different word counts to see what resonates best with your audience and optimize based on performance data.
What has your experience been with email length? Have you found certain word counts to work better or worse? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The Right Email Length Depends on Your Goal
When deciding the perfect email length, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The ideal word count depends largely on the purpose of your email and what your specific goal is.
Here’s how the optimal length varies based on whether you want to maximize response rate, CTR, or conversions:
Optimizing for Response Rate? Keep It 50-125 Words
If your primary goal is to elicit responses from your email recipients, you’ll want to err on the shorter side.
According to the comprehensive Boomerang study, emails in the 50-125 word range achieve the highest response rates. Those with 75-100 words hit the peak 51% response rate.
This indicates that succinct, scannable emails have the best shot at prompting replies. Avoid stretching emails longer than 125 words when response rate is your top priority.
For instance, say you send a simple promotional email alerting subscribers to a limited-time sale. Your goal is to get them to respond so you can connect and close more sales.
In this case, a shorter email around 75-100 words would be ideal to encourage quick responses. You want to deliver the key details briefly and motivate rapid action.
Around 150-200 Words Optimizes for CTR
If instead your main goal is driving traffic rather than direct responses, you may be better off slightly increasing email length.
Data from Constant Contact found that ~200-word emails achieve optimal click-through rates. This allows you to include a bit more context and persuasion to compel the reader to click through to your site.
For example, say you have a targeted email campaign to increase registrations for an upcoming webinar. You want recipients to click from the email through to the registration page.
Writing a longer email in the 150-200 word range gives you space to provide more details about the webinar topic, speaker expertise, and unique value proposition to influence readers to click through and sign up.
More Length May Be Needed for Conversions
Response and CTR metrics provide useful insight, but sometimes your end goal is actual conversions driven directly from the email content.
In this case, you may need to increase length more significantly to walk the reader through a detailed value proposition and call-to-action.
For instance, say you have a special limited-time offer like 30% off their first order. Rather than just stating the offer details, you want to compel the reader to redeem it directly from the email.
Here, crafting a longer message around 250+ words enables you to share a convincing case for why the deal is worthwhile, head off potential objections, and provide clear redemption instructions—all of which help drive higher email conversions.
Find the Optimal Balance for Each Unique Goal
In summary:
- To increase response rate, keep emails ~50-125 words
- For higher CTR, target ~150-200 words
- If optimizing for conversions, consider 250+ word length
Ideally, test different lengths to find the sweet spot that works for your audience and goals. There’s no universal ideal word count—the right email length ultimately depends on your objectives and the metrics you’re optimizing for.
Keep these goal-specific guidelines in mind, while also considering your audience preferences and other factors covered in this guide. Finding the perfect balance takes testing, but is worth it for the engagement gains!
What’s been your experience? Have you found certain email lengths to work better for different goals? I’d love to hear any insights in the comments!
Best Practices for Concise, Effective Emails
Now that we’ve covered the research on ideal word counts, let’s get into some actionable tips for writing succinct emails that drive engagement.
Follow these best practices to create emails that are concise yet compelling:
Lead With a Clear, Benefit-Focused Subject Line
Your subject line is the first impression your email makes. To maximize opens, you want a short, descriptive subject line that highlights the reader benefit.
Some best practices for crafting effective subject lines include:
- Keep it under 50 characters so it’s not truncated on mobile
- Communicate the primary benefit/offer clearly
- Use specificity; generic subject lines get ignored
- Leverage the recipient’s first name for personalization
- Try teasers or thought-provoking phrases to build curiosity
For example, a subject line like “Sarah, here’s how to save 50% on your next order” is benefit-driven, personalized, and specific.
Subject lines under 5 words tend to garner the most opens, so be concise. Lead with your value proposition hooked to the recipient’s name whenever possible.
Front-Load Your Core Message and CTA
With limited time to capture attention, you need to get right to the point. The most critical information should appear first in your email.
Apply these principles:
- State your main message/offer in the first 1-2 sentences
- Include your CTA early on – don’t make readers hunt for it
- Use formatting like bolding to highlight key details
- Add relevant images near the top to reinforce the message
Placing core info like “Take 20% off your order this week with promo code SAVE20” and your call to action at the beginning increases visibility.
Then you can elaborate on supporting details, testimonials, etc. further down. But don’t make the mistake of burying your CTA or central pitch.
Use Formatting to Make Emails Skimmable
Scannability is key for short attention spans. Apply formatting techniques like:
- Short paragraphs of 2-4 sentences
- Numbered or bulleted lists
- Bold/italicized text to emphasize important points
- Generous white space between elements
- Clear headings and subheadings
- Relevant images and graphics
These tactics make your emails easy to quickly skim and digest. Readers shouldn’t feel intimidated by lengthy blocks of dense text.
Break it up visually and highlight the info you most want them to absorb.
Cut Filler Words and Tighten Sentences
Be ruthless in cutting unnecessary words and fluff from your email copy. Streamline your sentences to convey ideas clearly and concisely.
For example, instead of:
“We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to click the link below in order to register for our upcoming webinar.”
Simplify to:
“Register for our upcoming webinar here:”
Look for filler phrases like “in order to”, “we would like to”, etc. that can often be removed. Avoid rambling. Get to the point faster.
Test Different Lengths and Analyze Performance
Don’t assume you’ve found the ideal word count right off the bat. Test and tweak email length to see what resonates best with your subscribers.
Try A/B testing emails of different lengths:
- 100 words vs. 200 words
- 150 vs. 250
- 75 vs. 125
Or test progressively shorter/longer emails over several campaigns.
Compare open rates, CTR, and conversion rates across variations. The version that consistently outperforms is your ideal length for that audience and email type.
You can even break down data by device to see if mobile readers prefer different lengths than desktop. Then further optimize based on those insights.
Additional Tips for Concise, Effective Emails
Here are a few more tips to keep your emails tight and compelling:
- Cut out generic greetings/pleasantries, get straight to the point
- Limit introduction copy, focus on core message and CTA
- Stick to one message or offer per email
- Avoid over-explaining or including extraneous details
- Use numbered lists instead of paragraphs when possible
- Hyperlink text instead of including lengthy URLs
- Craft a focused, strategic call-to-action
- Edit ruthlessly; remove redundant phrases and unnecessary words
- Read email copy aloud to catch awkward/verbose language
Great email copy balances being succinct but not too abrupt. It delivers the central information readers need in a scannable format without excessive length.
Review and refine your emails to cut the fat while retaining enough supporting details and context. Test what resonates with your subscribers and continue optimizing over time.
What tactics have you found effective for tightening up your email copy? Share your top tips in the comments!
How Other Factors Influence Ideal Length
While target word counts provide a useful guideline, the ideal email length ultimately depends on several additional factors.
Here are a few other elements to consider when fine-tuning email length:
Consider Mobile Optimization
With over half of emails now opened on mobile, optimizing for mobile users is key.
Shorter emails tend to perform better on mobile for several reasons:
- Smaller screens make reading lots of text unappealing
- Mobile previews showcase just a few lines of text
- Mobile users often multitask and prefer skimmability
When determining length, consider that mobile opens warrant tighter, more concise copy. Anything requiring excessive scrolling won’t convert well.
Subject lines are also truncated on mobile, so keep them under 30-50 characters.
Use mobile-friendly design with enough white space and scannable formatting. Emails optimized for mobile tend to have higher open and engagement rates.
Account for Subscriber Preferences
EMAIL LENGTH BY INDUSTRY
| Industry | Avg. Email Word Count |
|---|---|
| Software | 156 |
| Ecommerce | 143 |
| Non-Profit | 139 |
| Travel | 135 |
Table data source: WordCounter
While studies provide general length guidelines, your subscribers are unique. The ideal word count for your audience may vary.
Factor in subscriber demographics, their industry, and relationship stage when deciding email length.
For example, software buyers may appreciate more technical detail requiring 200+ words. But ecommerce promos to new subscribers should be <125 words.
Send new contacts shorter emails to warm them up. For existing subscribers with higher trust, you can potentially increase length while retaining engagement.
Tailor email copy length to each audience segment. Also track performance by segment and adjust accordingly based on open/click rates.
Vary By Email Type and Stage
Email purpose and relationship stage should also dictate your length.
For instance:
- Welcome series emails often include more backstory, so may run a bit longer.
- Promotional emails are concise at <125 words.
- Email newsletters include multiple sections and articles.
- Follow-up messages are extremely short (just 2-3 sentences).
Similarly, if a prospect is early-stage, keep emails short as you build familiarity.
But for later-stage nurtured leads, you can provide mehr context if needed to influence conversions.
Don’t force every email into the same formula. Let your relationship stage, email series, and purpose guide ideal length on a case-by-case basis.
Additional Factors Impacting Length
Some other elements to think about when defining your length strategy include:
- Industry Jargon – Complex B2B industries may require more explanation.
- Brand Voice – More casual tones can take more words to convey.
- Special Offers – Limited-time sales may need more detail.
- Email Templates – Template structure should inform copy length.
- Lead Nurturing Stage – Early vs late stage calls for different copy.
Email length depends on your brand, industry, audience makeup, and campaign goals. Optimize based on performance data while also considering these additional factors for ideal email copy length.
What unique considerations impact email length decisions for your brand? Share your perspective in the comments!
Avoid Exceeding the Technical Limits
In addition to maximizing engagement, you also need to avoid problematic technical limits on email length. Exceeding certain word counts or file sizes can cause deliverability issues.
Here are two key technical thresholds to stay under:
Stay Under 2,000 Words to Prevent Spam Filters
While engagement drops off after about 200 words, many email providers set spam filter limits around 2,000 words.
According to HubSpot, emails over 2,000 words are more likely to get flagged as spam simply due to their abnormal length.
So once you pass about 500 words, scrutiny from spam filters starts to increase. Fortunately, there’s very little reason to ever approach 2,000 words in an email.
Some key tips:
- For most emails, stay under 200 words if possible.
- Only exceed 500 words in rare circumstances.
- If over 1,000 words, break into multiple emails.
- Edit ruthlessly; remove all unnecessary text.
- Avoid over-the-top salesy language.
- Personalize content to recipient interests.
Well-written, personalized emails with quality relevant content rarely need to approach 2,000 words. Stick within the ideal length for engagement, and you should stay safely under spam filter limits.
But if you do need to communicate a large amount of information, consider breaking it into a series of 200-500 word emails versus one huge email.
Keep It Under 102KB to Avoid Gmail Clipping
File size can also impact email delivery. If an email’s total size including images and code exceeds 102KB, Gmail will clip the message.
This means Gmail will truncate the email and append a “[message clipped] View entire message” link at the bottom.
This cuts off the end of your email – which often includes important info like your unsubscribe link. It also provides a poor user experience.
To avoid clipping:
- Reduce image sizes and number of images
- Compress images as JPGs or PNGs
- Host images externally on a web server
- Use minimal, efficient HTML code
- Avoid giant blocks of text
- hyperlink text instead of inserting lengthy URLs
In most email templates, copy length has less impact on file size than images. But trimming text can help.
Preview your email template and check the file size.Aim to keep it under 100KB to be safe. A clipped email hurts deliverability and undermines your message.
Added Tips To Avoid Technical Pitfalls
Some additional ways to avoid technical headaches:
- Test emails from different accounts to check spam filtering
- Use an email validation service to confirm rendering
- Check inbox placement with an email testing tool
- Analyze traffic via inbox monitoring to catch issues
- Enable links for users to report emails as “Not Spam”
Keeping email length reasonable will help maximize engagement and avoid crossing the technical limitations that hurt deliverability.
What’s the largest email file size or longest email you’ve sent successfully? Share your thoughts on email technical limits in the comments below!
Optimize Deliverability With Warmup
Now that you know how to optimize email length, effective delivery is the next piece of the puzzle. A strategic warmup process can maximize your inbox placement.
Here are some tips to gradually improve deliverability using warmup:
Gradually Increase Sending Volume
When you start emailing a new list or domain, don’t immediately blast at full volume. Beginning with lower volumes and steadily ramping up over time helps earn trust with ISPs.
Follow this general warmup progression:
- Week 1: 25 emails per day
- Week 2: 50 emails per day
- Week 3: 100 emails per day
- Week 4: 200 emails per day
- Week 5+: Scale towards full target volume
Adjust the ramp based on bounces, spam complaints, and inboxing performance. Go slow with new domains and speed up for established sender reputations.
Warmup allows you to scale deliverability safely without getting flagged for sudden spikes in volume. Take the time to warm up email IPs and domains for long-term inbox success.
Use a Trusted Provider Like Mystrika
Conducting an in-house warmup can be challenging and time-intensive. Leveraging an established warmup service like Mystrika simplifies the process.
Mystrika offers a trusted warmup process including:
- Free warmup for one sender address
- High-quality, vetted warmup seed lists
- Gradual volume increases based on performance
- Warmup email templates to maximize engagement
- Detailed warmup and deliverability analytics
Their optimized warmup process helps you:
- Safely build sender reputation
- Avoid spam folder and blacklists
- Smoothly scale up email campaigns
- Establish trust for long-term deliverability
With guaranteed inbox placement and deliverability insights, Mystrika takes the hassle out of DIY warmup. Their proven methodology establishes your domain’s sending reputation for email success.
Check Blacklist Status
An important deliverability checkpoint is monitoring domain and IP blacklisting. If your sending infrastructure is flagged, you’ll face blocked emails.
Leverage free online tools like MXToolbox and BlacklistAlert to quickly check your blacklist status across 100+ lists.
Proactively catching any blacklisting issues early allows you to address the problem before your campaigns are impacted.
Ongoing blacklist monitoring should be part of your overall email hygiene strategy, along with properly warming up and managing spam complaints.
Optimizing your warmup approach is just as important as nailing email copy length when it comes to inbox placement. Invest the time to gradually build sender reputation, use trusted warmup services, and monitor blacklists. With the right foundation, your emails will reach the inbox ready to drive results at any length.
How do you handle new domain warmup? Any tips to share on optimizing deliverability? Let me know in the comments!
Use Testing and Analytics to Find Your Sweet Spot
While research provides general email length guidelines, the ideal formula for your specific audience can only be determined through testing.
Leverage A/B testing and email analytics to refine the perfect length that resonates with your subscribers.
A/B Test Different Lengths
Rather than guessing what email length will perform best, let the data guide you.
Set up A/B split tests to compare engagement on emails of varying lengths. For example:
- Test a 50-word email against a 150-word version
- Try 75 words versus 125 words
- Compare 100 words to 200 words
Ideally, test incrementally shorter and longer copy to pinpoint the length sweet spot.
Also consider testing different lengths for various email types and segments. For instance:
- Promotional emails: 50 words vs. 125 words
- Newsletter emails: 150 vs. 250 words
- Buyers: 100 vs. 200 words
- New subscribers: 75 words vs. 150
Look at open rates, CTR, and conversions to determine which lengths resonate best in each scenario.
Track Performance Metrics
Dive into email analytics to understand how length impacts key metrics like:
- Open rates – Does shorter copy increase curiosity and opens? Or do longer emails pique interest?
- Click-through rates – Are readers more likely to click and engage with concise or detailed emails?
- Conversion rates – Does more copy increase conversions, or is brevity best to prompt action?
- Unsubscribe rate – At what point does length cause subscribers to disengage?
- Reading time – How far down the email do readers scroll on average?
Analyze this data by subscriber segment and email type to draw insights. The ideal length may vary across different scenarios.
Adjust Your Approach Based on Trends
Let data guide your decisions as you refine email length over time.
For example, if tests show 150 words beats 75 words for open rate but underperforms on CTR, you may determine:
- Use 75 words for promotional subject lines to boost open rates
- But include 150 word copy in the body to drive clicks
Continually experiment with length variations and respond to trends in the data. There’s no “set it and forget it” magic number.
Review metrics regularly to catch any emerging length preferences. Email subscriber behaviors evolve over time.
Ongoing optimization is key to keeping engagement high across campaigns. Don’t leave it to guesswork – the datareveals your subscribers’ true preferences.
Added Tips for Optimization Testing
Some additional tips to effectively test and refine email copy length:
- Ensure sample sizes are statistically significant before drawing conclusions
- Test one variable at a time (e.g. length) so results are meaningful
- Analyze interaction trends across email clients and mobile vs. desktop
- Pay attention to unsubscribe and complaint rates, not just positive metrics
- Know that preferences may vary across different segments and campaigns
- Be patient; it takes several test cycles to nail down the ideal formula
Use data-backed insights rather than assumptions to determine the perfect length balance for your audience. Consistent testing and optimization is key for email success.
Email Length is Just One Piece of the Puzzle
Now that we’ve explored the ideal email length from all angles, it’s important to remember:
Word count is just one piece of the puzzle.
Well-crafted, relevant content is still essential for email success.
Well-Written, Relevant Content is Still Key
At the end of the day, an email’s content has to connect with subscribers and deliver value, regardless of length.
You can have the perfect 75-word promotional email, but if the offer isn’t compelling or conveyed clearly, it will still fall flat.
So before worrying about word count:
- Take time to understand your audience’s needs and preferences.
- Brainstorm a creative offer or meaningful information that meets those needs.
- Craft a relevant, benefit-driven core message and strong CTA.
- Ensure copy is well-written, clear, and error-free.
Then use the strategies in this guide to tighten up your copy into an optimized length. But quality content comes first.
Focus on Delivering Value to Subscribers
Email is about creating value – not cramming in as many product features or content as possible.
Resist the temptation to keep adding more points and sections just to stretch emails longer. You risk burying the core value.
Be ruthless in the editing process to ensure every sentence adds value for the subscriber.
Stick to concise emails focused on helping the reader, not demonstrating how much you know. Ultimately, subscribers care about what’s in it for them.
Monitor Feedback and Iterate
Treat email length optimization as an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.
Continually track subscriber feedback through:
- Open and click-through rates
- Conversion metrics
- Unsubscribe and complaint rates
- Customer surveys
- Social media comments
If you notice engagement decreasing, re-evaluate your copy and length. What worked a month ago may not resonate now.
Be agile in refining your approach over time. Email success requires continuously listening and optimizing.
The Key is Finding the Right Balance
At the end of the day, email length is about balance:
- Say enough to deliver value, not too much to overwhelm
- Be concise but don’t omit critical information
- Tighten copy but maintain an authentic brand voice
- Optimize for brevity while also driving action
Stick to the strategies in this guide, but also use common sense based on your subscribers, industry, and business objectives.
Finding the optimal length is a blend of research-backed best practices and real-world judgment. As with most things, moderation is key.
In Closing
Email length is an important piece of the email marketing puzzle. But never lose sight of providing relevant value to your subscribers first and foremost.
With the guidelines in this guide, and a dedication to continuous refinement through testing and feedback, you can achieve email copy length optimization while keeping quality content at the core.
What’s your take on balancing brevity with value in your email approach? I’d love to hear your thoughts and advice in the comments below!
Key Takeaways on Email Length for Higher Engagement
To summarize the insights on optimizing your email length:
- Keep most emails between 50-125 words for maximum impact and deliverability.
- Consider your goal – response rate, CTRs, or conversions – as ideal length varies.
- Lead with a compelling subject line under 50 characters.
- Front-load your core message and CTA in the first 1-2 sentences.
- Use scannable formatting like bullets, headers, and bold text.
- Tighten sentences by cutting unnecessary words and filler language.
- Account for factors like mobile use, industry, and subscriber preferences.
- Avoid exceeding 2,000 words or 102KB file size to prevent deliverability issues.
- Gradually warm up new domains and scale sending volume.
- Leverage A/B testing and metrics to determine your audience’s sweet spot.
- Well-written, relevant content remains key – don’t just focus on length.
- Continually track feedback and refine your approach over time.
Email length optimization is about finding the right balance for your subscribers’ needs and preferences. Use these data-backed best practices to guide your strategy, while also letting real-world testing and experience inform your approach.
With a combination of research insights and ongoing refinement, you can create emails that engage and convert readers in the ideal length sweet spot.
Frequently Asked Questions About Email Length
Still have some lingering questions about optimizing email length? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
What is the ideal length for a cold outreach email?
For cold outreach, 50-100 words is ideal. You want to be brief but not overly terse with prospects who don’t know you yet. Lead with your value proposition and keep follow-ups under 3-4 sentences.
How long should welcome emails be?
Welcome emails can afford to be a bit longer at 150-200 words since you have a captive audience. Use the extra space to introduce key brand information, content, and resources.
What is the best newsletter length?
For newsletters, aim for an average of 150-250 words. This allows you to include brief snippets of content. But be sure to format content for skimming.
How long should automated emails be?
Automated emails like receipts and shipping confirmations need only essential details, so keep them to under 50 words. For automated promos, up to 125 words is sufficient.
What is better for sales emails – short or long?
Follow the 50-125 word guide for most sales outreach emails. However, longer sales letters (500+ words) may work occasionally for high-consideration purchases.
How short is too short for an email?
Avoid going under 25-50 words except for very specific use cases. At that extreme brevity, you risk seeming abrupt or leaving out key details.
Can I go over 200 words if needed?
You can go over 200 words for complex topics or later-stage leads, but only if needed. For most emails, tighter copy will outperform. Prioritize brevity.
Hopefully these answers help provide guidance for common email length questions! Let me know if you need any clarification.