Study: Causally Modeling the Linguistic and Social Factors that Predict Email Response
If you're wondering why your emails have not been read, perhaps the content lacks emotion.
Crafting an effective email extends beyond just the content and length. In a new study, University of Michigan researchers suggest that the nuances of communication style and the strength of social connections can greatly impact the likelihood of receiving a reply.
The study highlights the importance of a compelling communication style, strong interpersonal relationships and persuasive writing. These elements are crucial for encouraging responses, the research reveals.
Surprisingly, email success differs greatly depending on whether you're initiating contact with a broad audience or engaging in a back-and-forth with a smaller group.
Study co-author David Jurgens, associate professor of information and of electrical engineering and computer science, said that when sending an email to a large group for the first time, those who possess a wide network of robust connections typically garner more replies.
Caution is advised, however, against using overly personal language, as it might deter responses, he added. Once a dialogue begins, the key shifts as the conversation targets a more tailored and specific audience.
"Here, people with a respected reputation are more likely to keep getting replies, and being too formal or overly polite might not help maintain the conversation, surprisingly," Jurgens said.
Emails that stir emotions tend to get more replies than those that focus only on the facts. Even when writing about technical content, making your emails emotionally engaging increases the likelihood of replies, the research indicated. Using proper grammar and avoiding casual texting habits also boosts your chances of getting responses.
Researchers studied 11.3 million public emails from 2009, of which 7.46 million never received a reply. Some emails are, by construction, not intended to get a response. When analyzing what linguistic and network factors influence responses, the team developed new methods to control for the confounding effects of the sender's communicative intent (e.g., is this sharing news or a request for help?) and expectation of receiving a reply.
"We find email response rates are impacted, at different times and in different contexts, by these pragmatic factors," said Nancy Xu, doctoral student at the School of Information.
Future work could investigate if the factors influencing email responses generalize across different platforms, languages and cultural contexts, the researchers said.
Jurgens, Xu and colleagues said their study provides valuable insights for professionals aiming to enhance their email communication effectiveness, whether they're reaching out to new contacts or cultivating ongoing conversations.
The findings were presented at the recent Proceedings of the 2025 Conference of the Nations of the Americas Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics: Human Language Technologies.
