2023 cold B2B email statistics and benchmarks

The statistics and benchmarks for cold B2B email outreach in 2023 provide valuable insights into the performance and effectiveness of email campaigns.

Here are some key takeaways:

1. Key B2B Cold Email Statistics:

   - Email is considered the most effective sales channel by 43% of salespeople.

   - 77% of B2B buyers prefer communication via emails, more than any other channel.

   - 59% of companies consider emails the most reliable channel for lead generation.

   - Email prospecting delivers "good to excellent" ROI for 72% of businesses.

   - On average, it takes sending 306 cold emails to generate one B2B lead.

   - The average open rate for B2B cold emails is 36%, and the reply rate is 7%.

   - C-level executives are more likely to answer cold emails than employees outside the C-suite.

2. Conversion Rate Statistics:

   - The average open rate for B2B cold emails is 36%.

   - The average reply rate for B2B cold outreach is 7%.

   - It takes approximately 306 cold emails to generate one B2B lead.

   - Contacting 2-4 prospects per organization yields the highest average reply rates (>7%).

   - B2B campaigns targeting 240-499 people get the highest reply rates of 10%.

3. Email Frequency Statistics:

   - The optimal number of follow-ups for a B2B outreach campaign is 2.

   - The first follow-up email boosts the reply rate by 49%.

   - The second follow-up only boosts the reply rate by 9%.

   - The third follow-up email decreases the reply rate by 20%.

   - Cold email campaigns with 3 email rounds tend to have the highest reply rates of 9.2%.

4. Email Timing Statistics:

   - There is no specific prime time for sending emails.

   - Wednesday is the best day of the week to send outreach emails, with a reply rate of 7.2% and an open rate of 37%.

   - Open rates peak at roughly 41% in the afternoon (between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.).

   - Monday at 11 a.m. is considered the best time for sending an email to achieve the highest conversions.

5. Personalization and Subject Lines:

   - Lack of personalization results in a low reply rate of 1.7%.

   - Subject lines with 3 or 7 words bring the best open rates.

   - Subject lines of 90 characters or more produce the highest open rates for B2B emails.

   - Using spam words in subject lines can harm open and reply rates significantly.

   - Mentioning cooperation or opportunity in subject lines can lead to a significant increase in open and reply rates.

6. Decision-Makers and Job Titles:

   - 60% of B2B sales include 2-4 decision-makers.

   - Emails to CTOs and COOs get the most replies (~7%).

   - Regular employees from diverse departments are most likely to convert.

7. Open and Reply Rates by Industry:

   - Open and reply rates for B2B emails vary significantly based on the industry.

   - Event agencies, architecture and planning companies, and design studios have above-average open rates.

   - Museums, nonprofits, and religious institutions have the highest reply rates.

8. Open and Reply Rates by Country:

   - People from different countries respond differently to cold emails.

   - Ireland, Slovenia, and Denmark have the highest reply rates.

   - Reply rates are lowest in Azerbaijan, Japan, and South Korea.

These statistics can serve as benchmarks for B2B outreach strategies, helping businesses optimize their cold email campaigns for better performance and engagement.