Are you sending emails to your customers, but not seeing the results you want?
Have you ever wondered if email marketing still holds up in the age of social media?
Or is your inbox flooded with marketing emails, leaving you feeling completely fed up with them?
As digital marketing has evolved, many wondered whether email marketing would become obsolete in favour of newer platforms like social media.
The truth is, email marketing isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving.
Let’s dive into why email remains a crucial tool for any marketing strategy.
first, a bit of a back story
Marketing has evolved over centuries, from print ads and billboards to today’s digital platforms.
While social media, content marketing, and paid ads are often seen as the face of modern marketing, email marketing has quietly remained a powerful tool.
Introduced in the 1970s, email marketing grew to be one of the most reliable and direct ways for businesses to communicate with their audiences.
Despite facing challenges like spam filters and rising competition from social platforms, email has proven to deliver consistent results—making it an important part of your marketing mix!
email or social media: which drives better results for your business?
While social media is a powerful tool, it simply doesn’t stack up against email in terms of reach and efficiency.
According to Forrester Research, 90% of emails are delivered to the intended inbox, while only 2% of your company’s Facebook followers might see your posts in their feed.
This statistic alone underscores why email continues to be such a vital part of any marketing plan. You want your message to get seen, and email is the surefire way to make that happen.
customers prefer email as their primary choice for communication
If you’re wondering what channel your audience prefers, the answer is clear: email.
A report from MarketingSherpa shows that 72% of consumers prefer receiving promotional content through email, compared to only 17% who favour social media.
The numbers speak for themselves: consumers like the personal, direct communication email offers.
It provides a space that isn’t as noisy or fleeting as social media, which can help you better connect with your audience.
email marketing does deliver
Unlike many “momentary” marketing trends, email marketing has stood the test of time.
Other channels may wax and wane in popularity, but email has consistently delivered quality results.
According to recent stats, 69% of marketers use email to distribute content, making it the third most popular channel after social media and websites. And for good reason—email’s track record shows that it can reliably convert leads, nurture customer relationships, and build loyalty.
battling the spam reputation
Email marketing has faced its fair share of challenges over the years, especially with the rise of spam.
In the past few years, spam emails have become such a problem that many people have started ignoring their inboxes altogether, and email marketing got roped up in the middle of it.
But the good news is, things have changed. Modern filtering technologies and stricter regulations have improved the landscape, and email marketers are far more cautious about keeping their emails relevant, valuable, and not spammy.
So, how do you avoid falling into the spam trap?
The key is to focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your audience. Whether you’re offering a special discount or sharing helpful tips, your emails should feel like a positive addition to your reader’s inbox, not just another spam email that gets sent to the junk folder.
Additionally, using clear subject lines, not shouting to your audience with everything IN CAPITALS and respecting unsubscribe requests can help ensure your emails don’t get marked as spam.
build that connection with your audience
One of the best things about email marketing is its potential to build long-lasting relationships with your customers.
While social media can help you connect with your audience in real-time, email provides an opportunity to have more personal, meaningful interactions because you can speak straight to them.
Over time, a well-maintained email list becomes a direct line of communication with loyal customers, making it easier to nurture those relationships and turn one-time buyers into repeat customers.
We always like to remind our clients about the client journey and to think further than point B. What happens next? Do they follow you on social media? Join your mailing list? Leave a review?
In other words, consider the lifetime value of a customer.
Maybe your cost per purchase for an initial sale is higher via email marketing, but if you continue to nurture that customer through follow-up emails, promotions, and personalised content, that investment becomes much more profitable over time.
Email is not just about the first transaction; it’s about building a long-term connection.
summary
Email marketing isn’t just alive—it’s thriving.
It provides a direct, personal line to your audience, cuts through the noise of social media, and builds long-term customer relationships that pay off over time. The key to success is to avoid spammy practices, focus on delivering real value, and use email as part of a broader, holistic marketing strategy.
So, if you’re looking to grow your business and connect with your audience, don’t underestimate the power of a good old-fashioned email.
