Just open your favorite search engine and search for any specialized content to find out the answer to the question “is email marketing still effective?“. If you have any doubts, the answer will always be the same: email marketing is awesome!
No matter the metric: engagement rate, return on investment, preference among digital marketers, digital media with the best cost-benefit ratio, among others, you will always see email marketing in the top positions.
To give you an idea, Nielsen, a market research and information company, stated that half (50%) of professionals found email to be very effective, more so than ads (48%).
Of course, we’re not implying that email marketing is good and other media are bad. But we are reaffirming that email marketing is still effective, even if many try to claim otherwise and prophesy its demise.
Email, especially if used correctly and integrated with other digital media, makes the entire e-commerce ecosystem much more effective and profitable.
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Fallacies against email
On the Internet and social networks such as LinkedIn, there are professionals who defend a series of fallacious arguments that email is losing relevance or is falling into disuse.
In many cases, the arguments are only half-truths or biased analyses of research, perhaps seeking to give visibility to other solutions that are financially attractive to them.
Let’s talk about some of these theories and explain why they are not exactly what they claim.
1- Has email fallen out of use in companies?
According to research, companies are using more direct messaging applications and new generation Z professionals no longer want to use emails.
This statement makes sense, but it doesn’t tell the whole truth of everyday life in companies. What we can understand between the lines of statements of this nature is that this trend of use refers to everyday communications between teams.
Companies have been working in this way for years, with applications such as Slack, Telegram, Whatsapp, Discord, Teams and others. Communications between professionals in the same team, and even between companies and their clients, already make use of these technologies.
No one is denying the power and advancement of instant messaging and communication tools: by way of illustration, Whatsapp has 2 billion users, Telegram has 900 million users and Microsoft Teams has around 270 million users.
But when it comes down to it… email is the effective tool!
Instant messaging and online meeting services are playing a parallel role to email in terms of communication, making it faster and more effective, but it is email that tends to be used as the official channel.
Countless times it is possible to witness a negotiation that is discussed via Whatsapp or Telegram, detailed in a call via Zoom, Google Meet or Teams and finally documented for everyone involved via email (including confirmations of digital signatures).
Email is the professional business tool par excellence.
2- Don’t young people use email?
There is an argument that email is no longer used among young people – and that they prefer social networks. It’s true: no one has been exchanging emails asking “how are you?” for decades.
It’s also obvious that email is not a collaborative tool. For example, colleagues in a school working group now find it much easier to work together with direct messaging applications, online calls and collaborative documents (such as those in Google Docs).
With purchasing power comes email
But there are times when email will be necessary, even among young people. For example, one of the main sources of growth in the use of email comes precisely from the consumer sphere, with emails related to online purchases. And the more inserted they are in the market (with purchasing power), the more young people tend to use email as a tool.
What’s more, an email account is necessary for all kinds of online activities, such as setting up social media accounts themselves – which are supposed to have come to do away with email.
So what has changed? Well, the way we deal with emails. They have become more informative and documentary tools. And they’re just sharing space with other media, which is only natural.
3- It’s easier to sell on social media
If we’re talking about B2C sales, the influential power of social networks is undeniable. There, you can enjoy exchanges between people who are part of the universe of things you like. There’s content for all tastes: music, art, architecture, design, manga, and an almost endless list more.
In all fields, influencers will have the ability to make you want to consume products and services. But they alone are not enough. Next to an influencer’s video there is almost always a hyperlink or QR code linked to a sales website, where almost everything returns to “normal”: registration, login, emails and texts, etc.
All tools together
It’s all part of an intricate set of different digital marketing actions: you might be scrolling through your Instagram feed and be struck by an advertisement for a product. Immediately, you may turn to Google to search for the product’s technical data sheet or consumer reference sites. Next, you can go to YouTube to watch an unboxing or test of the product, with an expert’s opinion. Then you can go to the official website or a price comparison site to find the best deal on the product and use that discount coupon you received by email.
You see, there is a whole universe of digital interactions until a purchase is completed – which will also be informed by email.
When the sales universe migrates to the B2B environment, things tend to get even more interesting. In fact, 50% of marketing managers say that email marketing is the channel with the greatest impact on their online strategies for B2B sales (eMarketer, 2023).
In the case of B2B, purchases are not made on impulse, nor by personal preferences. They are made through feature surveys, price comparisons, sales meetings, demo videos and, in many cases, email exchanges between the parties.
Is email marketing still effective? High revenues and low costs
One of the main attractions of email marketing is its very affordable cost structure when compared to other digital marketing actions.
Automation platforms now offer a multitude of features that make email actions much smarter, more interactive, more just-in-time and more targeted than ever before.
With a high conversion rate and a relatively low investment, email can be called “the King of ROI“, with an average of 40 dollars for every 1 dollar invested (Litmus).
A billion-dollar market
And when we talk about high conversion rates, we’re not kidding: email marketing is still effective! Email marketing revenue will exceed 9.5 billion dollars in 2024 (Statista). What’s more, according to the same survey, for those who believe that email’s days are numbered, the exact opposite is true: by 2032, email marketing revenue is expected to reach 37 billion dollars, almost four times the current figure.
What’s more, the number of email users is only growing. Today, it is around 4 billion worldwide and could reach 5 billion by 2026.
With an eye on this data and wanting a generous slice of this revenue, 61% of marketing managers have increased their investment in email marketing to reach B2C (SeQuel Response) audiences.
A brighter, more interactive future
Email has always reinvented itself as a tool. While at first it had the character of a “digital letter”, it has changed several times and adapted to the new realities in which it is inserted.
For example, with the arrival of email AMP, emails will feature enhanced interactivity, allowing users to complete transactions, fill in forms, watch embedded video content and confirm attendance at events directly in the email interface, eliminating the need to navigate to external websites. And that’s no small feat.
Although AMP email has not yet been widely adopted, you can already see it working in Google emails.
The trend is that, with the exponential growth in sales made or influenced by email, this type of technology will become more common, so that companies can take better advantage of impulse sales opportunities.
So, is email marketing still effective?
Of course! It remains an indispensable tool for any digital marketing strategy, contrary to pessimistic predictions about its supposed obsolescence.
Email stands out not only for its capacity for engagement and return on investment, but also for its adaptability to new trends and technologies. Integrating email marketing with other digital media creates a more robust and effective communication ecosystem.
And don’t forget: to ensure that your email marketing is correctly delivered to your recipients, always keep your email contact lists free of invalid addresses, spamtraps and temporary emails.
Create a free SafetyMails account and start verifying your emails now.
FAQ
Email marketing remains relevant due to its high conversion rate and excellent return on investment. Research shows that it is considered one of the most effective channels by marketing professionals, outperforming many other forms of digital advertising. The capacity for precise segmentation, automation and personalization make email marketing a powerful tool for engaging and converting leads.
Although young people prefer instant messaging platforms and social networks for everyday communication, email remains essential for formal and business activities. Many young people use email for registering for online services, shopping, and important communications. As they acquire purchasing power, their use of email tends to increase, especially for commercial transactions and information about products and services.
Social networks play an important role in marketing, especially for influencing consumers and creating brand awareness. However, they complement – not replace – email marketing. Often, social media campaigns direct users to websites or registration forms that rely on email to complete the sale. In the B2B environment, the importance of email is even more evident, serving as an official and reliable channel for negotiations and documentation.
No, email marketing is known for being one of the most cost-effective digital marketing channels. With affordable automation platforms and a high rate of return, it offers a really good ROI. For every dollar invested, companies can expect an average return of 40 dollars.
The future of email marketing is promising, with innovations such as AMP for email, which allows direct interactivity in the inbox. These technologies are transforming emails into more dynamic tools, allowing users to complete actions without leaving the message. The forecast growth of the email marketing market, both in terms of users and revenue, reinforces that it will continue to be very important for digital marketing.