An email digest is a summary email that compiles multiple messages or updates into a single message, typically sent on a scheduled basis (e.g., daily or weekly). Instead of receiving individual emails for each message or discussion post, subscribers to an email digest receive one consolidated email that includes all recent content. This helps reduce inbox clutter and is especially useful for discussion groups, forums, or mailing lists.
When was the last time you read everything in your inbox?
Has it gotten so full that it feels like a chore just to open and “read” each message? Filtering with tabs may help. And now you can move all those emails from Rover’s Pet Pride into a “Read Later” folder — AND some day you may actually have time to read all those pet newsletters, and the other indexed emails you saved.
Personally, when I get overwhelmed with messages, I delete them all. I believe if something was important that I missed, they will contact me again. Then there’s spam: How many non-secure business loans can I get, and no, I don’t need to know about the hidden carbs in cigarettes.
But I only delete in-mass with personal email — business email is different.
Business owners, me included, know that filtering by tabs and folders only works to a point. Business email needs to be reviewed for customer issues, vendor communication, and sales. In business it’s more efficient to handle email once — read and act — rather than save it for later (and maybe later again).
Email saved for later or not, can be non-stop digital noise. And I run one of those digital noise companies, as an email list hosting provider. My company acts like a digital post office, delivering emails to inboxes. We host email lists so owners can send messages to their members — daily, weekly, yearly — whenever they choose.
We offer both email marketing and email discussion lists. And one thing I’ve noticed? Discussion list recipients like their digests.
Our discussion lists (aka group email) run on the Lyris ListManager platform. Digests are offered to list recipients as a bundled summary of messages sent to their membership list. They can receive daily, or weekly digests – instead of receiving each message separately as posted. Think of a digest as a recap of list activity, perfect for subscribers who want to stay informed without getting multiple emails a day.
And now, this concept is being used more and more by email marketers.
My observation with our hosted email marketers, they realize their list members are busy. Most, like me, they don’t have the time to scroll endlessly through content; it leads to attention fatigue — the last thing you want your readers to experience when reading your email marketing piece.
Consequentially taking a page from discussion list owners, email marketers are offering digests style newsletters. And they work well. A marketing digest, for example, can be a brief summary of the latest company blog, product updates, or just about anything. And to learn more about a specific item, the marketer can include a link to the company website.
Sending a digest is the perfect way to introduce new members to your list. And studies show marketing digest have higher engagement than newsletters, turning members into regular (digest) readers.
Digests are especially effective for:New subscribers, as a soft introduction to your content
Engagement, since studies show digests often outperform traditional newsletters in open and click-through rates
They benefit both sender and reader:Readers stay informed without getting overwhelmed
Marketers get more attention on key items
Everyone saves time, less noise, more value
And they’re not just for businesses:Nonprofits: Use to summarize events, campaigns, and news updates
Businesses: Share blog posts, customer stories, or product tips
Governments or committees: Deliver concise public updates
We offer fully hosted, customizable email list solutions with flexible formatting — ideal for digest-style newsletters. Whether you’re managing a small club or a large organization, we’ll help you connect clearly and consistently. Email sales@dundee.net for more information.
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