Email Marketing: The Channel That Refuses to Die
Every year someone declares email marketing dead. Every year email marketing generates $36 for every $1 spent, making it the highest-ROI marketing channel. The rumors of its death are greatly exaggerated.
Why email works: you own the list. Instagram can change its algorithm, Facebook can throttle your reach, TikTok can get banned — but your email list is yours. Nobody can take it away or reduce your access to it.
Building a list starts with offering something valuable in exchange for an email address. Lead magnets work: free guides, templates, discount codes, webinars, or exclusive content. 'Subscribe to our newsletter' converts at 1-2%. 'Get our free pricing template' converts at 15-25%.
Segmentation is the difference between good and great email marketing. Don't send the same email to everyone. Segment by purchase history, engagement level, interests, and behavior. A customer who bought last week needs a different email than someone who hasn't opened in months.
Subject lines determine whether anyone reads your email. Keep them under 50 characters, create curiosity or urgency, and never use ALL CAPS or excessive exclamation marks (that's a one-way ticket to spam).
Automation is where email marketing becomes a money machine. Welcome sequences for new subscribers, abandoned cart emails for ecommerce, re-engagement campaigns for inactive subscribers — these run 24/7 without you touching anything.
Platform choices: Mailchimp (easiest for beginners), ConvertKit (best for creators), Klaviyo (best for ecommerce), or Resend (best for developers). They all get the job done.
Send frequency: start with once a week. Consistency matters more than frequency. One great email per week beats five mediocre ones.