The State of Email in Lifecycle Marketing Report - Data, trends, and expert insights that reveal how marketers use email across the customer journey

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Sarah

The report examines how marketers use email throughout the customer journey, focusing on lifecycle marketing and the gap between expected and actual adoption. Survey data from nearly 1,000 marketers in early 2024 highlights which email types are most used, which KPIs matter, and why lifecycle email is harder to implement than standalone promotions. It also covers personalization, automation, and lifecycle priorities for the next 12 months, supported by commentary from six experts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages34

Reading Time12 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1: How marketers use email in the customer journey

Why fewer teams use lifecycle marketing than expected

What is lifecycle marketing?

Lifecycle email marketing: it’s complicated

Automation can bridge the lifecycle email gap

The State of Email in Lifecycle Marketing Data, trends, and expert insights that reveal how marketers use email across the customer journey. Report In this report, you’ll learn: Chapter 1: How marketers use email in the customer journey Chapter 2: Which KPIs marketers care about Chapter 3: Personalization in the customer journey Chapter 4: Lifecycle priorities for the next 12 months Chapter 5: What to do next The State of Email in Lifecycle Marketing Report 2 Understand email’s role in lifecycle marketing this year Acquisition is exciting, but lifecycle email supports retention and engagement for business sustainability. Read on to learn how nearly 1,000 marketers surveyed between January 29th and February 29th of 2024 use email in lifecycle marketing. Plus, get commentary from six industry experts on what to do in the year ahead. Who responded to our survey? 􀀏􀀓􀀗􀀝􀀞􀀚􀀙􀀓􀀚􀀖􀀗 􀀎􀀐􀀕􀀍􀀓􀀖 500 employees B2B, B2C, or both 􀀘􀀘􀀝 􀀙􀀘􀀝 􀀞 500 employees 􀀗􀀖􀀝 􀀒􀀞􀀑􀀐􀀖􀀔􀀞􀀚 United States 􀀙􀀔􀀝 Europe (excl. UK) Globally 􀀞􀀕􀀝 􀀞􀀛􀀝 􀀞􀀝 􀀛􀀚􀀙􀀘􀀗􀀖􀀕􀀔􀀓􀀗 Software + Technology Marketing/PR Retail Financial services 􀀛􀀚􀀝 Litmus customers 􀀞􀀝 Not Litmus customers The State of Email in Lifecycle Marketing Report 3 Chapter 1 How marketers use email in the customer journey—and how they should be Fewer marketers are focused on lifecycle emails than we expected | Why aren’t more teams using | | Revenue-boosting emails are | | Newsletters are a versatile | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | lifecycle marketing? | | the crowd favorite | | tool to add personality | Less than half of marketers use lifecycle and onboarding emails, which means there’s huge untapped potential for customer retention and engagement. Growth has been a top priority, but the tides may be changing. Marketing and promotional emails are the most-used, probably because the direct link to sales is satisfying and validating. 55% of marketers use email to make sales. Newsletters are the second most-used email type, yet are only used by half of marketers. Our experts think they’re an underutilized way to stand out. The State of Email in Lifecycle Marketing Report 5 What is lifecycle marketing? Before we explore email’s role in lifecycle marketing, let’s look at lifecycle marketing as a whole. 1. Awareness 􀀁Goal: Introduce potential customers to your brand, product, or service. 􀀂Touchpoints: Social media, advertising, email 2. Engagement 􀀃Goal: Use content to encourage audience to engage with your brand 􀀄Touchpoints: Blog posts, newsletters, webinars, social media, lead nurture email programs 3. Consideration 􀀅Goal: Provide content/info to guide customer into considering your product/service. 􀀆Touchpoints: Product pages, case studies, testimonials, comparison guides, retargeting ads, email 4. Activation/Conversion 􀀏Goal: Drive the customer to take action, like purchasing product/ service 􀀐Touchpoints: pricing information, promotional o􀀞ers, email campaigns 5. Onboarding 􀀇Goal: Help customer get the most out of your product with smooth onboarding 􀀈Touchpoints: Welcome/ onboarding nurtures/emails, tutorials, user guides, customer support, onboarding calls 6. Retention 􀀉Goal: Keep customer engaged + satis ed enough to consider repeat business 􀀊Touchpoints: Newsletters, loyalty programs, personalized o􀀞ers, product updates, customer surveys 7. Loyalty/Advocacy 􀀋Goal: Create brand advocates out of happy customers 􀀌Touchpoints: Referral programs, reviews and testimonials requests, social sharing incentives, community building 8. Reactivation/Win-Back 􀀍Goal: Re-engage inactive customers, return them to the customer lifecycle 􀀎Touchpoints: Re-engagement emails, special o􀀞ers, surveys to understand why they lapsed The State of Email in Lifecycle Marketing Report 6 Lifecycle email marketing: it’s complicated Less than half of marketers surveyed use lifecycle emails t

FAQs

How many marketers use lifecycle and onboarding emails, according to the report?

Less than half of marketers use lifecycle and onboarding emails, indicating major untapped potential for customer retention and engagement.

What reasons do marketers give for lifecycle email being difficult to manage?

Lifecycle email requires more time and effort to strategize, and its impact is harder to measure because it must be broken into activation, engagement, and retention and may also be qualitative.

Why is automation considered a way to improve lifecycle email performance?

Automation is the top email marketing priority and helps teams leverage lifecycle marketing without diverting all attention; since automations are reused, the initial effort can yield results beyond one-to-one or batch campaigns.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Sarah