Newsletter Engagement Remains Low Despite Reach
While three in ten Americans get news from email newsletters, a new Pew Research Center study finds that actual engagement is low. A majority of subscribers report they don't read most of the newsletters they receive. Busy professionals, in particular, are likely to scan or skip them due to information overload, indicating a gap between signups and habitual reading.
- The Pew Research Center study found that while 30% of U.S. adults get news from newsletters, 62% of those subscribers report not reading most of the newsletters they receive. Just 3% of Americans name newsletters as their preferred way to get news. - Information overload is a significant factor in low engagement, leading to psychological exhaustion and news avoidance. A study of American adults revealed that two-thirds feel "exhausted" by the sheer volume of news. This can lead to "doomscrolling," a compulsive consumption of negative news, or complete avoidance of necessary information. - For publishers, newsletter readers are highly valuable. At The New York Times, newsletter subscribers consume twice as much content and are twice as likely to become paid subscribers. Similarly, readers who subscribe to newsletters spend 80% more time on the site. - The primary motivation for subscribing to a newsletter is to receive coupons or discounts, with 80% of subscribers citing this as their reason. Other reasons include getting information about new products (48%), a general liking for the brand (30%), and receiving interesting content (26%). - A key reason for low engagement is a failure to provide valuable and relevant content. Successful newsletters often focus on a 90% educational or helpful content to 10% promotional content ratio. Personalization is also crucial, as 71% of consumers expect it, and 76% get frustrated without it. - Inconsistent sending schedules can confuse subscribers and erode trust. Sending one email per week generally results in the highest open rate at 33.8%. The average open rate for marketing emails across all industries is around 33.86%, while the media and publishing industry sees a benchmark of about 34%. - Dull or uninteresting subject lines are a major reason subscribers don't open emails. Using the word "Newsletter" in the subject line can decrease open rates by 18.7%. Short subject lines between 20 and 40 characters are 45% more likely to be opened. - Technical issues like deliverability can also lead to low open rates. A healthy email delivery rate should be at least 95%, and emails that don't adhere to CAN-SPAM standards are at high risk of ending up in spam folders.
