How did COVID-19 affect email engagement metrics in 2020 compared to 2019?

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions having internal benchmarks made this year, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like anything has been published externally.

Email marketer from Return Path (now Validity) noted that inbox placement rates were affected by increased email volume and changing spam filter algorithms. Senders needed to maintain strong sender reputations to ensure their emails reached recipients' inboxes.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares a retail-specific dashboard showing industry trends during COVID, measured by percentage change per week. Link to dashboard: <https://dashboard.ometria.com/>

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor explains their data showed that email volume increased significantly during the early months of the pandemic. Open rates also saw a notable rise, though click-through rates remained relatively stable, suggesting people were reading emails but not necessarily interacting with them more.

Email marketer from Sendinblue mentions that eCommerce saw a boom during the pandemic. They suggested that email marketing efforts were also beneficial due to changes in shopping behaviour.

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions having clients who've done their own retrospectives on email engagement but are waiting to publish until after the holidays.

Email marketer from Hubspot shares their analysis that shifts in work schedules and daily routines during the pandemic influenced the best times to send emails. Mid-morning and early afternoon became optimal times for many audiences.

Email marketer from Validity details how certain industries, like media and entertainment, experienced increased engagement, while others, such as travel, struggled as the pandemic altered consumer behavior. They also note that many companies increased email frequency.

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions Campaign Monitor having an article coming year over year stats

Email marketer from Litmus reports that email open rates saw a significant increase in 2020 compared to 2019, driven by changes in consumer behavior. Engagement varied by industry, with some sectors seeing substantial growth and others remaining relatively stable.

Marketer from Email Geeks refers to a March analysis of customer email engagement data published by Nationbuilder, noting it was a lead magnet but based on rigorous analytics. Link to the post: <https://nationbuilder.com/diving_into_the_data_how_covid_19_is_reshaping_our_emails>

Email marketer from Smart Insights shares that email marketing continued to provide a strong ROI during the pandemic, especially for businesses that adapted their messaging to address customer needs and concerns. Personalized and empathetic email campaigns performed particularly well.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares a link to a site <https://insights.emarsys.com/> where users can create an account and see industry-specific email metrics comparing the last 7 days versus the same week last year.

Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog shares that early in the pandemic (around April 2020), email marketing performance saw a boost, with some industries experiencing open rates as high as 35% and click-through rates around 5%. This was attributed to people spending more time online.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares his own analysis of senders who sent COVID-related emails and saw a significant boost in opens. He notes that most emails also had increased opens across the board initially, but this was before fatigue set in from excessive COVID-related messaging.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggested that automation was vital for maintaining consistent communication during the pandemic. Automated email sequences helped businesses stay engaged with their audience without overwhelming their marketing teams.

Email marketer from Martech Series details how email deliverability became more challenging due to increased email volume and stricter spam filtering. Senders needed to follow best practices and monitor their sender reputation closely.

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that marketers needed to adapt their email marketing practices to meet the changing needs of subscribers during the pandemic. This involved reviewing segmentation strategies and adjusting messaging to be sensitive to the crisis.

Documentation from IBM found that consumers spent more time checking email and were more receptive to brand communications that offered value, such as discounts or helpful information. This led to increased engagement for relevant and timely campaigns.

Documentation from The Radicati Group explains that email usage significantly increased throughout 2020 as people became more reliant on digital communication for work, education, and personal interactions.

Documentation from Mailchimp states their analysis of email benchmarks showed fluctuations throughout 2020, with initial surges in open and click-through rates followed by a leveling off as the year progressed. The impact varied significantly based on industry and audience.

Documentation from World Health Organization explains that there was a rise in phishing and scam emails exploiting fears and uncertainties related to COVID-19. These emails often impersonated legitimate organizations and sought to steal personal information.