Cold Email Statistics 2025
Benchmarks and data for cold email campaigns. Know what "good" looks like for reply rates, bounce rates, send times, and deliverability.
Reply Rate Benchmarks
What's a Good Reply Rate?
| Reply Rate | Assessment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| <1% | Below Average | Targeting, messaging, or deliverability issues |
| 1-3% | Average | Typical for cold outreach at scale |
| 3-5% | Good | Well-targeted, personalized campaigns |
| 5-10% | Excellent | Highly targeted, strong value prop |
| >10% | Outstanding | Usually warm or referral-based outreach |
Reply Rates by Industry
Average reply rates vary significantly by industry and use case
| Industry/Use Case | Reply Rate | Meeting Rate |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS / Technology | 2-4% | 0.5-1% |
| Marketing Agency | 3-5% | 1-2% |
| Consulting / Professional Services | 4-6% | 1.5-3% |
| Recruiting / Talent | 5-8% | 2-4% |
| Real Estate (Commercial) | 2-4% | 0.5-1.5% |
| Financial Services | 1-3% | 0.3-0.8% |
Note: Rates vary based on targeting quality, personalization, and offer strength
Follow-up Statistics
Where Do Replies Come From?
Distribution of replies across email sequence
Optimal Follow-up Timing
| Timing | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Email | Day 1 | Full value proposition |
| Follow-up 1 | Day 3-4 | Short bump, different angle |
| Recycled Campaign | Day 60+ | Fresh offer, new approach |
Best Send Times
Optimal Days and Times
Based on reply rate data across B2B campaigns
Best Days
Best Times (Local)
Note: Always send based on recipient's local timezone, not yours
Deliverability Benchmarks
Target Metrics
What to aim for and what signals problems
| Metric | Target | Warning | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bounce Rate | <2% | 2-5% | >5% |
| Spam Complaint Rate | <0.1% | 0.1-0.3% | >0.3% |
| Inbox Placement | >90% | 80-90% | <80% |
| Domain Age Before Sending | 30+ days | 14-30 days | <14 days |
Blacklist Recovery Times
| Blacklist | Severity | Typical Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Spamhaus | Critical | 2-4 weeks (or replace domain) |
| Barracuda | Critical | 1-3 weeks |
| SpamCop | Serious | 24-72 hours |
| Minor RBLs | Low | Often auto-resolve |
Email Content Statistics
What Performs Best
Email Length
Subject Line Length
Format Performance
| Format | Deliverability Impact | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Plain text, no links | Highest | Best for cold outreach |
| Plain text, 1 link | High | Acceptable if link is your domain |
| HTML with images | Medium | Avoid for cold email |
| HTML with tracking | Low | Never use for cold email |
Cold Email Funnel Math
From Send to Close
Typical conversion rates through the funnel
These are illustrative averages. Your actual numbers depend on targeting, offer strength, and sales process.
Statistics compiled from industry reports, our platform data, and third-party research. Updated quarterly. Last update: January 2025.
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