Shorter emails. Higher ROI.

What the data says about newsletters that actually get read.

Author

Reade Milner
June 03, 2025

This 3-minute read brought to you by the team at Rogue Pine

In this issue, you'll learn:

Newsletters don’t fail because the content’s bad. They fail because no one reads them.

We’ve been reviewing the latest 2025 data on B2B email performance.

The findings are clear: simple structure, consistent timing, and clarity at the top of the email drive better results across nearly every industry.

The overlooked drivers behind email success

Your newsletter is only as effective as your audience’s willingness to open and read it. That seems obvious, but too many marketing teams focus on what they want to say, instead of how their audience consumes.

Here’s what the data is telling us:

  • Subject lines under 30 characters outperform longer ones, especially on mobile

  • Concise emails (~200 words) see the highest click-through rates

  • Tuesday mornings show a mild edge in open rates—but the bigger takeaway is to find your best send window through regular testing

The goal is simple: make it easier for busy decision-makers to engage with your message—consistently and clearly.

Why this matters at the executive level

Email is still one of the highest-leverage marketing channels you control.

But for most companies, it’s underutilized—or misused.

When newsletters are:

  • Too long, they don’t get read

  • Infrequent or sporadic, they don’t build trust

  • Unclear in purpose, they don’t convert

And the result is lost attention, missed follow-ups, and lower pipeline contribution from owned media.

But when done well, a strategic newsletter increases surface area with key accounts, nurtures decision-makers, and drives warm leads into the sales process without added headcount or ad spend.

A better approach

Don’t treat your newsletter as a blog post blast or a company update.

Think of it as a weekly trust-building asset.

The best ones we’ve seen are:

  • Skimmable

  • Predictable in cadence

  • Centered on one clear idea

  • Designed for execs on mobile

This kind of structure increases open rates, yes, but more importantly, it improves follow-through: site visits, replies, referrals, sales conversations.

P.s. Need our help building your own marketing engine?