Email Marketing Attention Spans are Climbing! Here's Proof. [Infographic]

We’re easily distracted these days.

As a matter of fact, we’re so distracted, an entire industry of fidget spinners and fidget cubes has emerged to help us sit down and concentrate. (I’m might even be using one now as write this article).

When it comes to our shrinking attention spans, technology takes a lot of the blame. We have a world of information in our pocket, news is limited to 140-characters, and conversations take place in the form of emojis.

As some industries in the digital world struggle to grab attention, there is one medium that’s actually getting more than ever -- email marketing.

According to a study completed by Litmus, the percentage of emails read for more than 18 seconds grew to 44.4% in 2016 from 38.4% in 2011.

You’re probably just as surprised as I was when I first read that stat, however, with features such as improved mobile email clients, increased mobile screen sizes, and well-written content, email marketing is setup to combat user’s short attention spans more than ever.

If you’re looking for more details, Litmus and their talented designer (a former IMPACTer),  Amir Hamdi put together the infographic below that breaks down the recent changes in email engagement. They also compiled a list of tips that marketers can use to optimize their emails for short attention spans.

Some of the notable stats and tips from the infographic include:

• The average time spent reading an email increased nearly 7% over the past six years.
• The percentage of email opens on mobile devices increased from roughly 20% in 2011, to about 55% in 2016.
• Optimize your subject line and preview text so they align well with your email’s content.
• Use headers, subheads, bullets, and other tactics to communicate information quickly
• Pay attention to your email load times. Too many large images can cause long load times.