Inbox Insights: What Inspires Customers To Open Brand Emails

Checking email might seem like a mindless habit at this point, but according to a recent study by ZeroBounce, there is a specific reason more than 2 in 5 of us go to our Inbox.

Brand discounts.

“93% of people check their email every day, and 41% of them do it because they’re looking for coupons and discounts from brands,” says ZeroBounce’s 2025 Email Statistics Report, which found 41% was also the percentage who checked for family emails, both far behind the 79% who check for work. 

The global survey of 985 people found that more than two-thirds (67%) preferred shorter emails from brands, with 27% saying length is “irrelevant if the message is compelling.” That relevance also drives opens, as more people were likely to open a brand email each time if it was relevant (46%) than for any other reason.

(Source: ZeroBounce)

“Possibly the most useful feedback we got: most people open an email from a company because they’ve been getting consistently good emails from that company,” the study says. “While having a catchy subject line is important, it’s only the second reason why people open your messages.”

Immediate relevance not only drives open rates, but staves off spam labels as well. The report found that 4 in 5 will mark an email as spam just for looking like spam, while almost half (47%) submitting spam complaints if there are no ways to unsubscribe. Ultimately, emailing too much was the No. 1 reason for people to unsubscribe.

“Want to keep unsubscribes at bay?” the report asks. “Find a reasonable sending frequency, as most people say they opt out because they get too many marketing messages from the same sender. Another important reason is that the sender added them to their list without consent, so ensure you use double opt-in on your sign-up forms.”

For more information about how to improve your email deliverability, download A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing by Mirabel’s Marketing Manager: