Get BETTER Email Results | What’s Trending for 2026

TL;DR: Better email results in 2026 are not coming from new tools or full redesigns. They are coming from small, intentional changes tested consistently over time. What is working right now includes clearer subject line signals, subtle timing shifts, and more human engagement. Where email is heading next is toward trust, relevance, interaction, and connected journeys across channels. The key is testing what works for your audience, not copying trends blindly. The 90-Day Email Testing Roadmap was created to help business owners decide whether email testing belongs in-house or is ready to be handed off.

Every new year, people come to us and say, “We’re ready to do email better this year”.

They usually brace themselves and wait for us to recommend new tools, template redesigns, and scrapping everything they’ve been doing to start over. 

We have never once had a client restart from scratch. 

We always start with the data to see what’s worked, revisit the foundation to make sure goals, mission, and values are aligned, then refine the target audience so the message is reaching the right people in the right way.

If all of those pieces are in place, we find it’s best to start with small, intentional changes that make emails easier to notice, easier to engage with, and more human inside a crowded inbox.

What is working right now, and what is shaping email marketing heading into 2026, is not more complicated strategies. It is clarity, relevance, and trust.

Let’s start with what is working right now, then zoom out to what those patterns are pointing to for 2026.

Three practical changes that can your email results right now

1.    Brackets at the end of subject lines are still working

Brackets are not new, but how they are being used is changing.  Right now, the strongest performance is coming from brackets placed at the end of subject lines. This acts like a label and helps readers decide quickly if the email is worth opening.

When it’s done right, we’ve seen this tactic increase open rates by up to 33%.

The key is what goes inside the brackets. It should be timely, relatable, or clearly actionable to reduce decision fatigue.

For example:  Your January content plan [free download]

2.    One capitalized word can change how emails get noticed

Most inboxes are scanned, not read.  One pattern we saw repeatedly toward the end of 2025 was the use of one intentional capitalized word in the middle of a subject line.

Over the last two months of the year, we saw open rate increases ranging from 16 percent for business audiences to over 20 percent for consumer lists when this was used intentionally.

That one capitalized word creates visual contrast and slows down that scan just long enough to earn more attention.

For example:  Why January is NOT the time to go quiet

3.    Sending emails off the hour is outperforming predictable timing

Many automated emails still go out at predictable times like 9:00, 10:00, or 1:00.  Those are also the times and the reason inboxes flood.  What we are seeing perform better is sending emails slightly off cycle. Times like 9:17, 10:43, or 1:12.

Recent testing shows open rates increasing by around 15 percent when emails are sent at non standard times because there is less competition in the inbox.

Where email is heading in 2026

We’ve seen a few sources claim that email is entering a new phase.  Here’s the key changes that could be shaping what email success will look like going forward.

Hyper personalization powered by AI

AI personalization can go way beyond using a first name now.  Email marketing is moving toward behavioral personalization, using signals like browsing behavior, scroll depth, purchase intent, and engagement history to tailor messages.

AI is playing a bigger role in:

• segmenting audiences

• predicting what content is relevant

• optimizing timing at the individual level

Interactive emails that invite participation

Content people can interact with is more engaging. Email is no different. We’ve seen a rise in:

• email carousels

• polls and surveys

• booking calendars

• quizzes and lightweight gamification (I don’t like “lightweight gamification” not everyone knows what that is or what that means).

The goal is not novelty. It is engagement. 

The more someone interacts with your email, the stronger the signal that your content is welcome in their inbox.

Privacy, trust, and deliverability become the real metrics

One of the biggest things that’s changing for 2026 is the focus on email performance over open rates as the primary success metric.

With privacy changes and tracking limitations, email performance is increasingly measured by trust signals, including:

• replies

• clicks

• scroll depth

• authentication and inbox placement

Email is also becoming that of a trust filter.  Deliverability is becoming difficult but is just as important as your email performance and open rates. 

In simple terms, deliverability is about proving to inbox providers that your emails are legitimate, expected, and coming from a real brand.

That is influenced by:

• using data people have willingly shared with you

• having clear consent to email them

• encouraging real replies instead of using “no reply” inboxes

• properly setting up email authentication so inbox providers can verify your identity and display your brand correctly

Design for inclusion, efficiency, and sustainability

When we talk about designing emails for inclusion, efficiency, and sustainability in 2026, it just means we need to respect how people read and use email.

Most emails are opened:

• on mobile phones

• in less-than-ideal lighting

• by people with different abilities, eyesight, and attention spans

Designing your email well means it should:

• load quickly

• be easy to read without zooming

• work in dark mode

• make sense even if images do not load

• is not cluttered or overwhelming for the reader

Email does not stand alone anymore

Email should be part of a broader customer journey.  Let’s say a dealership is promoting a sale on a new car model.

1. The email kicks off the promotion with an announcement explaining:

• which model is on sale

• why now is a good time to buy

• what makes this offer worth paying attention to

The email does not try to do everything.  It introduces the opportunity and invites you to take action on the next step.

2.  The website continues the conversation

When someone clicks the link in the email, the website’s landing page:

• shows the same car featured in the email

• uses the same language and offer details

• clearly outlines pricing, availability, and next steps

There is no disconnect between the email and the website and your reader feels like they are still in the same conversation.

3. Behavior triggers the follow-up

If someone spends time looking at the car or starts a booking form but doesn’t finish it, the next email they receive reflects that.

For example, send a follow-up responds to interest instead of repeating the same message like:

“Still thinking about the new model? Here’s what to know before booking a test drive.” Or “Here’s what people ask most before buying this car.”

4. Use SMS to support action

If the dealership uses text messages, the text does not repeat the original email.

Instead, it might say:

“Test drive slots are filling up this weekend. Reply YES and we’ll book one for you.”

The message is short, timely, and focused on action.

Quick Recap:

Each channel has a clear role.

• Email introduces the offer and builds interest

• The website supports the decision with details

• Follow-up emails respond to behavior

• SMS helps someone take action quickly

Nothing feels random or repetitive. The buyer sees a consistent message across each channel, with each touchpoint moving them closer to the same goal.

A simple place to start testing in 2026

Every audience is different. Every industry behaves differently.  These tactics work best when they are treated as starting points, then tested against your own data. Your analytics will always tell you more than benchmarks alone.

That is why we created a 90-Day Email Testing Roadmap.

It is designed to help you:

• test and track the right things so you can stop guessing

• avoid restarting from scratch

• understand how much structure and consistency real testing requires

• decide whether email testing fits your current capacity

Use it as a guide. Then test, adjust, and refine based on how your audience responds.

👉 DOWNLOAD THE 90-DAY EMAIL TESTING ROADMAP

If you want a second set of eyes on what you are sending this year, we are always happy to help.