Why People Forward Emails: 4 Data-Backed Reasons and Tips to Get More Shares in 2024

As email marketers, we tend to obsess over opens and clicks. But there‘s a often-overlooked email metric that‘s even more valuable: forwards.

Think about the last time you forwarded an email. Chances are, you didn‘t just forward it to one person — you shared it with several friends or colleagues you knew would find it interesting or helpful. Maybe it was a sale on a product you know your sister loves. Or an email newsletter with fascinating stats your team could use.

When your subscribers forward your emails, they‘re not just giving your brand a stamp of approval. They‘re amplifying your message far beyond your original list, expanding your reach exponentially. One forward from a loyal customer could put you in front of hundreds of potential new ones.

So what‘s the secret to getting more email forwards? What compels subscribers to take that extra step and hit "share"?

We wanted to know, so we analyzed over 400,000 email campaigns across dozens of industries to uncover the common threads. The emails with sky-high forward rates had four factors in common. Here‘s what we learned — and how you can apply these insights to get your own emails shared in 2024 and beyond.

1. Targeted emails get 94% more forwards

Imagine getting an email from your favorite shoe brand. Which email would you be more likely to forward:

A) A generic message about their latest styles, sent to their entire email list
B) A message specifically about new running shoes, sent only to subscribers who‘ve purchased running shoes before

If you‘re a runner, probably B. That‘s because it‘s relevant to your interests. The shoe brand took the time to understand what you like and tailor their message accordingly.

Our research shows this kind of targeting is one of the biggest factors in email forwards. In fact, targeted emails — sent to a segmented portion of a list based on subscriber attributes — are forwarded 94% more on average than untargeted emails sent to a brand‘s entire list.

[Chart showing targeted vs. untargeted forward rates]

By segmenting your email list and sending content that aligns with each segment‘s interests, you vastly increase the chances they‘ll forward it to others with similar interests. Your runners will forward your email to their running group; your new moms to their play group.

How to segment your list for targeted emails

So how can you start sending ultra-targeted emails that get shared? The first step is gathering data on your subscribers so you can group them into segments. Here are some of the most valuable data points to collect:

• Demographics: Age, gender, location, job title, income, etc.
• Interests: Favorite product categories, topics, hobbies, etc.
• Behavior: Email engagement, purchase history, website activity, etc.

You can capture this info through your email sign-up form, website analytics, surveys, progressive profiling, and other touchpoints. The more data you collect over time, the more targeted you can get.

Once you have the data, use your email service provider‘s segmentation tools to create different subscriber groups based on common attributes. For example:

• VIP customers (those who‘ve spent over $1,000)
• Newsletter fans (those who open your newsletter 75%+ of the time)
• Locals (those who live within 25 miles of your store)
• Fitness enthusiasts (those who‘ve bought fitness products or clicked fitness content)

Then, send each segment personalized emails with content that caters to their needs and desires.

Real-world targeting example

Check out this email from furniture retailer West Elm:

[Screenshot of West Elm email]

Instead of sending a generic email to their entire list promoting their new outdoor furniture line, West Elm segmented their list by location. Only subscribers living in warm climates got this email announcing that "Outdoor living season has arrived!"

By targeting the email to subscribers for whom the content was relevant and timely, West Elm inspired forwards. Recipients in southern California and Florida shared the email with friends as a way of announcing patio season and suggesting new outdoor decor ideas. The email netted a 54% higher forward rate than West Elm‘s average.

2. Personalized emails are shared 4.7X more

If targeted emails get more forwards, hyper-personalized emails get even more. In our analysis, emails that were dynamically personalized with a subscriber‘s name, location, or other unique info were shared an astonishing 4.7X more than generic emails.

By personalization, I don‘t just mean using a first name token in the subject line. That‘s table stakes in 2024. True one-to-one personalization means weaving in details unique to each individual subscriber throughout the email, such as:

• Items they‘ve purchased
• Content they‘ve engaged with
• Milestones they‘ve reached
• Actions they‘ve taken (or not taken)

Doing so makes it feel like the email was written just for them. And the more an email resonates with a subscriber, the more likely they are to forward it to others who share their same interests, needs and traits.

Personalization inspiration

Need inspiration for how to amp up your email personalization and boost forwards? Here are some tactics to try:

• Celebrate anniversaries: "Happy 2 years since your first purchase! Here‘s a special offer to thank you for your loyalty."

• Recommend products: "Based on your last order of organic produce, we thought you‘d love these new salad mixes…"

• Reminder upcoming events: "Your 10K race is only 1 week away! Here are some last-minute training tips…"

• Upsell/cross-sell: "The [product name] you bought is even better with [complementary product]. Get 15% off when you complete the set!"

• Share user-generated content: "Thanks for the adorable pic of your dog loving our new chew toy! Click to share it with other pup parents."

By making subscribers feel seen and understood as individuals, you build the kind of personal connection that compels them to hit forward.

Real-world personalization example

This email from online learning platform Coursera is personalized to the recipient on multiple levels:

[Screenshot of Coursera email]

The email calls out the subscriber‘s individual learning behaviors, including:

• Courses they‘ve recently completed
• Skills they‘ve learned
• Time spent learning this month
• Suggested new courses based on their interests

This level of hyper-relevance makes the subscriber feel recognized and rewarded for their efforts. It also positions Coursera as a supportive learning partner who‘s invested in their growth.

As a result, the email saw a 62% forward rate. Many subscribers shared it with peers in their field to show off their accomplishments and suggest new courses to take together.

The more subscriber data you can leverage to create personalized email experiences like this, the more forwards you‘ll earn.

3. Emails with "share this" CTAs get forwarded 13.4X more

Sometimes, inspiring subscribers to forward your email is as simple as asking them to. Our research found that emails containing a prominent call-to-action button to "share this" or "forward to a friend" had a forward rate 13.4X higher than those without such CTAs.

Think about it: Most people quickly scan emails, especially on mobile. They may love your email but simply not think to forward it. A well-placed CTA acts as a visual prompt.

[Chart showing share CTA vs. no share CTA forward rates]

Plus, a sharing CTA sends the message that you want subscribers to share your emails. That it‘s not just okay, but encouraged. Some people may assume you want to keep the content or offer to a limited audience. A "share the love!" CTA makes it clear your good vibes are meant to be spread far and wide.

Sending emails subscribers want to share

Of course, simply adding a "forward this email" button to your template won‘t do much if the content itself isn‘t share-worthy. Before hitting send, ask yourself:

• Is this email entertaining, inspiring, or educational?
• Does it make the recipient look/feel good to share it?
• Would I personally forward this to a friend?

Your email has to provide value to the recipient and their network. The most commonly forwarded emails contain:

• Exclusive offers or discounts
• Entertaining or inspirational content
• Helpful how-to information or resources
• Exciting announcements or product launches
• Time-sensitive deals or events
• Feel-good stories of human interest

If your email checks one or more of those boxes, it‘s primed for forwarding. Now make it easy for subscribers to take that extra step with a clear, compelling CTA.

Share CTA best practices

Where should you place your share CTA? What should it say? What should it look like? Based on our research into top-performing CTAs, here are some tips:

• Put the CTA "above the fold" near the top of the email so it‘s one of the first things subscribers see
• Use a bold, bright button color that contrasts with the rest of the email to draw the eye
• Keep the CTA text short and action-oriented: "Share with friends" or "Forward this deal"
• Incentivize sharing with a bonus offer: "Forward to a friend and you‘ll both get 20% off"
• Include a snippet of pre-written share text the subscriber can easily use: "I saw this and thought of you!"
• Place follow-up sharing links and buttons at the bottom of the email as well

Real-world share CTA example

Here‘s an email from home goods brand Parachute with an exemplary sharing CTA:

[Screenshot of Parachute email]

There are a few things Parachute does really well here:

1. The CTA is the first thing you see when opening the email, placed squarely at the top
2. The CTA is a bright coral color that pops against the neutral background
3. The CTA copy highlights the value to the recipient: "Get $20" (and it rhymes!)
4. Forwarding the email is the one and only call-to-action – they‘re not trying to get the subscriber to take multiple actions

Thanks to this excellent CTA, the email got forwarded to 17% of Parachute‘s total list — expanding their reach by nearly a fifth with a single campaign. Many of those new referral leads ended up converting to paying customers, too.

4. Valuable email content is the biggest driver of forwards

We‘ve covered a few tactical ways to encourage more email forwards: segmentation, personalization, and share CTAs. But by far the biggest reason subscribers forward emails is because the content itself is genuinely valuable.

In our analysis, emails containing educational, entertaining, or inspiring content were shared 27x more than purely promotional emails.

[Chart showing content-rich vs. promotional forward rates]

People love to be the friend who tells everyone else about that fascinating new study, or that hilarious viral video. Sharing content that makes us look and feel good is deeply rooted in psychology. It gives us a boost of social currency. It nurtures our relationships. And it feels altruistic, like we‘re doing others a favor.

So if you want to supercharge your email forward rate, focus first and foremost on sending subscribers content that‘s truly worth sharing. The kind of stuff they can‘t help but tell others about.

What does that look like? Our data shows these four content categories are the most frequently forwarded:

1. News and insights: Subscribers love to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Emails with breaking news, surprising stats, or thought-provoking ideas get shared like wildfire. Example: "[New study] 74% of Americans now shop primarily online"

2. How-to information: Practical, educational content that helps subscribers achieve a goal or solve a problem is extremely shareable. Think tips, tutorials, recipes, templates, and guides. Example: "5 simple stretches to relieve back pain"

3. Entertainment: Funny, fascinating, or emotionally moving content is highly viral. If your email makes subscribers laugh, say "wow!", or get misty-eyed, chances are they‘ll forward it. Example: "Watch this dog reunite with his owner after 2 years apart tear"

4. Inspiration: Uplifting stories and motivational messages give subscribers a positive boost — and inspire them to pass that feeling on to others. Emails with user success stories, inspiring quotes, and feel-good anecdotes get tons of forwards. Example: "How this 72-year-old went back to college and nailed it"

Your product and brand should still be core to these content-rich emails. But instead of making the hard sell, you‘re focused on delivering subscriber value. Do that consistently and forwards will follow.

Real-world valuable content example

The most forwarded email of 2023 according to our analysis? This one from fashion resale app Poshmark:

[Screenshot of Poshmark email]

Poshmark‘s "2023 Fashion Resale Report" email is jam-packed with valuable content for the app‘s subscribers, who are passionate about fashion and resale. The email includes:

• Fascinating new data on consumer resale trends
• Breakdowns of the hottest brands and styles
• Insights to help sellers maximize their sales
• Inspiring seller success stories
• Motivational messages about the positive environmental impact of resale

It‘s the kind of insider info and niche insights Poshmark subscribers can‘t get anywhere else — and can‘t wait to share with their fellow fashionistas. The email earned an incredible 68% forward rate. One subscriber summed up the appeal perfectly on Twitter: "LOVING all this data on the state of fashion resale via @Poshmark – def sharing with my girls so we can all up our side-hustle game!"

TL;DR: The keys to email marketing virality

Let‘s recap the four data-backed ways you can get more people to forward your emails this year and beyond:

1. Segment your list: The more you can target your emails to specific subscriber groups based on their attributes and behaviors, the more relevant the content will be – and relevance drives forwards.

2. Get personal: Use the data you have about each subscriber to personalize your emails with content that‘s tailored to their unique interests, needs and history with your brand. A one-to-one feel sparks one-to-many sharing.

3. Ask for the share: Explicitly encourage subscribers to forward or share your emails by adding prominent, compelling CTAs. Make it both easy and rewarding for them to spread the love.

4. Prioritize valuable content: The #1 most important factor in email virality is packing your emails with fascinating, useful, inspiring content subscribers will be delighted to share – like newsworthy insights, how-to info, funny or emotional entertainment, and uplifting stories.

2024 will be the year of the forwarded email. With these research-backed tips and examples, you‘re well equipped to harness the power of forwards and expand your email reach exponentially.

Want to dive even deeper into the data? [Download the free report] to see all the charts, get breakdowns by industry, and find out which specific subject lines and content categories were most likely to get shared. Here‘s to your best – and most viral – email year yet.