illustration: bing.com/createThe study was conducted by Ziemek Bućko, content manager at Hunter.io, a platform for finding email addresses. The results of the analysis and the conclusions drawn from it were published on the company blog: What’s the Best Word Count for Cold Emails.
Bućko analyzed data from 34 million emails requesting contact to determine the optimal length of the sent message in terms of obtaining a response. The results indicate that shorter emails requesting contact have a higher response rate than longer ones.
- The average reply rate for the entire sample was 3.7%.
- Emails with a length of 20-39 words had statistically the highest response rate (4.5%).
- Messages with a length of 60-79 words (4%), 80-99 words (4%), and... 160-179 words (also 4%) achieved results clearly above the average.
The conclusion: shorter emails are more likely to be read and replied to. This is valuable advice for those who are engaged in prospecting and sales on a daily basis.
This also signals that the most frequently cited guidelines from Boomerang, recommending cold emails of 50-125 words, are now outdated. Moreover, as Ziemek Bućko emphasizes, they date back to 2016, which in the evolution of e-marketing is prehistoric. Furthermore, many commentators have overinterpreted some of the conclusions from the Boomerang study regarding its scope and methodology.
Length Matters, But...
However, the Hunter.io analyst emphasizes that the length of the email requesting contact is just one of many factors influencing the response rate. Other equally important factors include:
- Subject line: It should be clear, concise, and compelling enough to encourage the email to be opened.
- Message content: It should be personalized, valuable, and contain a call to action.
- Target audience: Emails requesting contact should be sent to the right people who are potentially interested in your offer.
From here, it’s easy to conclude that the optimal length of an email is a statistical curiosity that alone will not guarantee success. It is one of the factors worth considering from a UX perspective, but the key to success lies in the proper combination of all elements of the cold mailing puzzle.
For more information and data regarding the analysis, visit: https://hunter.io/blog/cold-email-word-count/
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Marketing and PR
AI marketing versus AI-powered marketing
Karolina Łukasiewicz
How to distinguish a buzzword from artificial intelligence that actually increases business efficiency? Is every marketing strategy using algorithms truly driven by AI? No, because in many cases, AI marketing is merely the automation of specific, previously known processes.
Brand visibility in the age of algorithms
Aleksander Pawzun
A few years ago, everything was simpler. It was enough to have a good website, do SEO, run a blog, and publish on social media. Whoever was systematic was visible. Whoever invested in content and positioning gained customers. That world no longer exists.
Queue psychology. Scientists' discovery used in Call Centers
Andrzej Sowula
The discovery first described by psychologists in the second half of 2024 concerns the so-called "relative progress effect". When customers observe fast service at the beginning of their wait, they tolerate slower service much better later in the waiting period.
See articles on a similar topic:
Predictive Analytics in Ads. Customer Doesn’t Know Yet, But Ad Does
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Artificial intelligence is changing the rules of marketing. Predicting customer behaviors through advanced AI algorithms and making data-driven decisions is already the present. The report "The State of AI," published by McKinsey, shows the impact this will have on the advertising and marketing industry.
Child's sleepless nights? Educator suggests solutions for parents
patronat Reporterzy.info
Sleepless nights lead to fatigue, frustration, and worries about potential health issues for the child. Fortunately, most sleeping problems can be resolved by introducing appropriate habits and routines that help achieve a peaceful, restorative sleep.
Cold Mailing: What is the Optimal Word Count for Best Results?
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Forget about popular guidelines for marketers that can be found on Google. An analyst from Hunter.io conducted a study of a massive database of 34 million emails requesting contact. It turns out that the world of marketing cold mailing looks quite different today.
Do Ads on TV Annoy You? Think Again, It’s Quite the Opposite!
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Advertisements don’t irritate viewers; instead, they increase the appeal of television programs, according to research published in the Polish edition of Harvard Business Review. Viewers are actually willing to pay more for shows they watched with ad breaks.




























