How long do email marketers spend on the tasks creating emails?

Chart of the Day: The State of Email Workflows in 2017 (Production Cycle) - Part 2 of 6

We are now in the second instalment of our six-week series on email workflow. Last week we discussed content planning and how correct planning isn't just advantageous to you but your clients.

This week we are focusing on production cycles and how long email marketers spend on tasks.

When this article was published on 26th July 2017, I asked you "for each email that your company sends, which task tasks you the longest?"
The results are in the chart below. We had 43 responses and the results are very interesting. We see that 32.56% of you find that copywriting takes the longest. This is really encouraging that copywriting is in first place. It means that more thought is being focused on the content, which we know is really hard. But when it's done right, it's very effective.

Do you feel like you are struggling with a certain area and it's taking you ages? Or are you wondering how long it takes our peers to churn out those fabulous emails? Read on fellow email geeks.

From the chart below, we can conclude that email marketers spend the most time (average) on:

1. Graphics and design - 4.1hrs
2. Coding and development - 3.8hrs
3. Copywriting - 3hrs
4. Data pulls/logic - 2.4hrs
5. Testing and troubleshooting - 2.3hrs
6. Analytics and Analysis - 2.1hrs

From these stats, it takes 2 days to complete one email, from beginning to end. But it's non-surprising that companies with 500 or more employees spend 47% more time on their emails than smaller companies. This could be because there are different departments who deal with the separate tasks, like graphics, coding etc. And there isn't time pressure, unlike smaller firms.

So do these stats ring true for you? For me, over 4hrs on graphics seems a bit excessive. If you are doing an advanced email, then yes coding and graphics will be higher. But do you notice a task that is missing? Where is the planning task? All these tasks are important, but how do you know what to write or design for the email? These all must be included in the planning process.

• Source: 2017 State of Email Workflows
• Sample Size: 3,500 marketers
• Recommended Resource: Email Marketing Audit