I can’t tell you how many times we hear from clients and prospects: “We just can’t send that many emails to our members.” In the next statement they say: “We have to remind members multiple times to get their attention.” Believe me, I understand the nature of receiving too many emails from both a work perspective and a personal perspective. However, I also know that if it’s something I care about, I don’t mind receiving the email because it reminds me to take action. As an association, you are the hub of data and industry communication for your members. That’s why you MUST develop a communication plan that includes disrupting, and yes, sometimes breaking your “too much communication” mentality.
We recently conducted an Email Marketing Stats Survey as part of our ASAE Annual Conference initiatives. We had 137 respondents and the stats we received pointed to a different tale than the typical response of, “We can’t email our members that much.”
51% of respondents noted that they email their members multiple times per week with only 19% responding that they email their members once a week. 
Only 8% of associations reported an open rate of 50% or greater. The interesting part is that all of the associations who make up that 8% reported that they email their members multiple times per week or more.
Another stat we found interesting was that Tuesday was the best day to send emails. Of the respondents that reported a decrease in open rate after the pandemic, only 29% said Tuesday was the day they received the best open rate. Of the respondents that reported their email rate increased after the pandemic, 41% of them chose Tuesdays as the day they received the best open rates.
Every association is unique and has a unique membership and thus requires a custom communication plan. However, one thing you must do is measure your stats. Don’t rely solely on “what you think” works. We all know that when we pay attention to the numbers, we get better results. I’m going to leave you with this last stat: Of the 31% of participants who answered “not sure” if their email open rates increased or decreased following the pandemic, 54% of them responded their average email open rate was 20% or below. Those who answered their email open rate increased following the pandemic only had a 33% average email open rate at 20% or below. Paying attention to your stats pays off.
If you'd like to see the full results, including what time is the best time of day to send emails, download the entire study below.
Next week we will be promoting the results of our sponsorship study initiative so check back on our blog next Thursday.
If you’d like to conduct a study like this at your organization, please reach out to our team.
