Enhancing Email Engagement: Insights for Association Executives

Enhancing Email Engagement: Insights for Association Executives

An article by Associations Now cites several reports that provide insights into email engagement in associations: while open rates declined in 2024, click rates increased. This shift suggests that recipients are engaging more deeply with emails they do open, highlighting the need for associations to refine their approach to personalization and calls to action.

The 2024 Association Email Benchmark Report, based on data from over two billion emails sent by 1,500 associations, found that average open rates fell to 35.6 percent, down from 38.2 percent in 2023. However, click rates rose from 2.7 percent to 3.7 percent, indicating that targeted messaging can drive engagement despite declining visibility. The report underscores the importance of avoiding email fatigue by focusing on relevance rather than volume. Broad, untargeted messaging risks being ignored, or worse, marked as spam.

The article offers several insights on how to improve email engagement. Short subject lines under 50 characters tend to perform better, while emails between 400 and 2,000 words generate the highest click rates. Traditional personalization tactics, such as using a recipient’s first name, may no longer be effective; instead, incorporating job titles, company names, or industry-specific details can increase open rates. Additionally, leveraging “social proof” through testimonials or user-generated content builds trust and encourages clicks.

Associations Now also highlights emerging trends, including the expanded role of generative AI in email marketing. AI can optimize segmentation, predict member behavior, and refine content strategies. Another key concept is “zero-click marketing,” which delivers valuable insights directly in emails rather than requiring recipients to click away.

For association executives, these findings emphasize the need to evolve email strategies. Prioritizing personalization, leveraging AI, and experimenting with new engagement tactics can help associations maintain meaningful connections with members in an increasingly crowded inbox.