Marketing

Is Email Marketing still Effective or Just Spam?

14 min read

Marketing

Is Email Marketing still Effective or Just Spam?

14 min read

Marketing

Is Email Marketing still Effective or Just Spam?

14 min read

OG: https://app.seobotai.com/profitable.agency/webinars-a-dying-trend-or-lead-generation-lifeline/

Email marketing remains a powerful tool in 2024, offering high ROI and direct customer communication. Here's a quick overview:

  • Still effective: $36 average return for every $1 spent

  • Not spam when done right: Permission-based, targeted, and valuable content

  • Key benefits: Personalization, cost-effective, measurable results

  • Challenges: Inbox clutter, spam filters, legal compliance

To succeed with email marketing:

  • Build a quality list

  • Craft engaging subject lines

  • Optimize for mobile

  • Personalize content

  • Segment your audience

  • Provide value, not just sales pitches

Quick Comparison:

Feature

Email Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Paid Ads

Reach

4.9 billion users

1 billion+ (Facebook)

Varies

Varies

ROI

$36 per $1 spent

Lower

$22 (SEO)

$17 (Search), $2 (Display)

Personalization

High

Limited

Moderate

Moderate

Cost

Very low

Medium

Low

Medium to high

Control

Direct to subscribers

Platform-dependent

Organic growth

Targeted but costly

Measurability

Easy

Platform-dependent

Indirect

Easy

Email marketing remains effective when done properly, balancing personalization, value, and respect for subscribers.

Related video from YouTube


What is Email Marketing and Spam?

Email marketing and spam are often mixed up, but they're quite different. Let's look at what makes them different.

Email Marketing Basics

Email marketing is a way for businesses to send emails to people who want to hear from them. It's about building relationships and giving useful information.

Key parts of email marketing:

  • People agree to get emails

  • Emails are made for specific groups

  • Emails have helpful content

  • Sender is clearly shown

  • Easy to stop getting emails

What Makes an Email Spam

Spam is unwanted emails sent to lots of people at once. These emails are often not useful and can be harmful.

Things that make an email spam:

  • Sent without permission

  • Vague or misleading subject lines

  • Lots of spelling mistakes

  • Sender is hidden

  • No way to stop getting emails

  • Often has dangerous links or files

Email Marketing vs. Spam: Key Differences

Here's a table showing how email marketing and spam are different:

Feature

Email Marketing

Spam

Permission

Asked for

Not asked for

Content

Fits what people want

Random or useless

Sender

Clear and real

Often fake

Unsubscribe

Always there

Usually not there

Subject line

Tells what's inside

Often tricks you

Following rules

Follows email laws

Breaks email laws

Usefulness

Helpful info or deals

Not helpful

How often

Not too much

Too much, random times

Email marketing tries to build trust and help customers. Spam tries to trick people or cause harm. Good email marketers follow the rules and make sure their emails are wanted and helpful.

Why Email Marketing Works

Email marketing is still a strong tool for businesses in 2024. Here's why it works well:

Return on Investment

Email marketing gives businesses more money back compared to other marketing methods.

Marketing Type

Money Back for Every $1 Spent

Email Marketing

$42

Social Media Marketing

$2.80

This shows that email marketing is cheaper and works better for businesses.

Tailoring Messages to Customers

Making emails fit each customer helps them work better:

  • Emails with the customer's name get opened 26% more

  • Emails made for each person lead to 6 times more sales

  • Customers like emails that fit their needs

Ways to make emails fit each person:

  • Use the customer's name

  • Show products they might like

  • Change the email based on where they live or work

Tracking Email Performance

Businesses can see how well their emails are doing by looking at:

  • How many people open the email

  • How many people click links in the email

  • How many people buy something after reading the email

  • How many people stop getting emails

This helps businesses make their emails better over time.

Cost Comparison with Other Marketing

Email marketing costs less than other ways to reach customers:

Marketing Type

Cost to Get One New Customer

Email Marketing

$9.21

Social Media

$18.68

Display Ads

$41.28

Search Engine Ads

$45.27

Email marketing is cheaper and lets businesses send the right message to the right people.

Drawbacks of Email Marketing

While email marketing can work well, it also has some problems that marketers need to handle carefully.

Too Many Emails in Inboxes

People get a lot of emails every day, which can make it hard for marketing emails to work well:

  • About 45% of all emails are spam, so it's hard for good marketing emails to stand out.

  • Many people ignore or delete marketing emails without opening them because they get too many.

  • Marketers need to make very good, personal emails to get noticed in full inboxes.

Getting Past Spam Filters

Spam filters can stop marketing emails from reaching people:

  • Even good marketing emails can get caught by spam filters because of certain words, mistakes, or how they're sent.

  • Email providers often change their rules, which can affect how many emails get through.

  • Marketers need to keep learning how to avoid being marked as spam.

What Can Trigger Spam Filters

How to Avoid It

Using too many sales words

Focus on giving useful info

Bad sender reputation

Keep email list clean

Many bounced emails

Update subscriber info often

Low open and click rates

Make good, relevant content

When Customers Don't Like Marketing Emails

If people don't like marketing emails, it can cause problems:

  • Subscribers might feel the emails are not personal or too pushy.

  • Sending too many emails without good content can make people unsubscribe.

  • Emails that look bad or don't work well on phones can annoy people.

To fix these issues:

  • Let subscribers choose how often they get emails

  • Make personal, useful content

  • Make sure emails look good and work on phones

Legal Risks in Email Marketing

Email marketing has to follow certain laws:

  • The CAN-SPAM Act in the US sets rules for business emails.

  • The GDPR in Europe says people must agree to get marketing emails.

  • Not following these laws can lead to big fines and hurt the company's name.

Important things to do:

  • Put a clear unsubscribe link in every email

  • Have an inbox where customers can send responses

  • Get clear permission before adding people to your email list

  • Clearly show who is sending the email and why

Tips for Better Email Marketing

Here's how to make your email marketing work better in 2024:

Growing a Good Email List

To build a strong email list:

  • Put sign-up forms on your website and social media

  • Give people something good for signing up, like special content or discounts

  • Use double opt-in to make sure people really want your emails

  • Clean your list often by removing emails that don't work

Writing Eye-Catching Subject Lines

Good subject lines make more people open your emails:

  • Keep them short (under 30 characters) for phones

  • Use the person's name if you can

  • Make people curious or feel they need to act fast

  • Try different subject lines to see what works best

Type

Example

Why It Works

Uses Name

"John, Your Special Offer Inside"

Makes it personal

Urgent

"24-Hour Sale Starts Now"

Makes people act fast

Makes Curious

"Learn How to Double Your Money"

Makes people want to know more

Shows Benefit

"5 Ways to Get More Done"

Shows how it helps

Making Emails Work on Mobile

Over half of emails are read on phones, so:

  • Make emails that look good on all screens

  • Use one column so it's easy to scroll

  • Use big enough text (at least 12 points)

  • Put important buttons near the top

  • Check how your email looks on different phones before sending

Customizing Email Content

Make emails fit each person:

  • Group people based on what they like or do

  • Change content for each group

  • Use info you have about people to change parts of the email

  • Send emails based on what people do on your site

Grouping Your Email Audience

Putting people in groups helps send better emails:

  • Make groups based on what people buy, how they use your emails, or who they are

  • Think about different types of customers you have

  • Send different emails to each group

  • Look at how each group responds and change your plan if needed

Giving Readers Useful Information

Good content keeps people interested:

  • Help solve problems people have

  • Give how-to guides, news about your field, or special tips

  • Mix helpful info with some sales stuff

  • Use different types of content like words, pictures, and videos

  • Always try to give more than you ask for

Mistakes That Make Emails Look Like Spam

Some email marketing mistakes can make your messages end up in spam folders. Here's how to avoid them:

Sending Emails Without Permission

Sending emails to people who didn't ask for them is a big no-no. It breaks rules and can hurt your brand.

Don't

Do

Buy email lists

Grow your list naturally

Add contacts without asking

Use double opt-in

Send to old contacts without checking

Clean your email list often

Always get clear permission before adding anyone to your email list.

Using Misleading Subject Lines

Tricky subject lines can lose trust and trigger spam filters. Your subject line should match what's in the email.

Bad subject lines to avoid:

  • "RE: Our talk" (when you didn't talk)

  • "Your account is closed" (when it's just an ad)

  • "You've won!" (when it's just a sale)

Make honest subject lines that get people interested. Keep them short for phones.

Not Including an Unsubscribe Option

Always add a clear way to stop getting emails. It's not just good practice—it's the law in many places.

Remember to:

  • Make the unsubscribe link easy to see

  • Stop sending emails quickly when asked (within 10 work days)

  • Don't charge money or ask for info to unsubscribe

Not Updating Email Lists

Sending to old lists can hurt your emails' success. As your list grows, some addresses become wrong or unused.

To keep your list good:

  • Remove inactive subscribers regularly

  • Check for wrong email addresses

  • Try to re-engage people who haven't opened emails in a long time

Using Fake Sender Information

Using false sender details can break trust and laws. Always be clear about who you are and where your emails come from.

Tips for sender info:

  • Use a name people know (like your brand name)

  • Put a real address in your email footer

  • Set up your email domain correctly

What's Next for Email Marketing

Email marketing is changing. Here's what to expect in the future:

Mixing Email with Other Marketing

Email marketing won't work alone anymore. It will team up with other online marketing:

Marketing Type

How It Works with Email

Social Media

Share email content, get more subscribers

Website

Show pop-ups based on user behavior

Mobile Apps

Send app messages that match emails

Text Messages

Send short texts to support email campaigns

Using Smart Computer Programs in Email Marketing

New computer programs are making email marketing better:

1. Smart Personalization: Programs will guess what customers like and send emails they want.

2. Automatic Emails: Emails will be sent when customers do certain things.

3. Computer-Written Emails: Programs will write good subject lines and email content.

4. Best Time to Send: Programs will figure out when to send emails to each person.

5. Better Customer Groups: Programs will sort customers into groups more accurately.

New Rules for Email Marketing

As email marketing changes, so do the rules:

New Rule

What It Means

Privacy Laws

Stricter rules on how to use customer information

Getting Permission

Clearer ways to ask if people want emails

Easy-to-Read Emails

Emails must be easy for everyone to read

Fair Use of Smart Programs

Rules on how to use computer programs fairly

To follow these rules, email marketers should:

  • Check their email practices often

  • Use tools to manage customer permissions

  • Learn about new rules

  • Be clear about how they use customer information

Email marketing is changing with new computer programs and teamwork with other marketing. By following new rules and using these changes, marketers can keep their emails working well.

Email Marketing vs. Other Digital Marketing

Email marketing is still a top choice for online marketing. Let's see how it compares to other ways of reaching customers online:

What We're Comparing

Email Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Paid Ads

How Many People It Reaches

4.9 billion users by 2017

1 billion+ (Facebook)

Depends

Depends

Money Back for Every $1 Spent

$36 on average, up to $53 in some fields

Less than email

$22 (SEO)

$17 (Search Ads), $2 (Display Ads)

Making It Personal

Very good

Limited

Okay

Okay

Cost

Very low

Medium

Low

Medium to high

Control Over Who Sees It

Direct to subscribers

Depends on platform rules

Grows naturally

Targeted but costs more

Limits on What You Can Say

Few

Platform rules apply

Few

Platform and ad type rules

Measuring Results

Easy to track

Depends on platform

Hard to measure directly

Easy to track

Email marketing stands out because:

  1. It reaches more people than even big social media sites.

  2. It gives back more money for what you spend.

  3. You can make emails fit each person better.

  4. It costs less to reach a lot of people quickly.

But each type of marketing has good points:

  • Social media is good for talking to people right away and making your brand known.

  • Content marketing helps people find you online over time.

  • Paid ads can get quick results and let you choose who sees them.

The best plan is to use different types of marketing together. For example:

  • Use social media to get more email subscribers.

  • Use email to share your content and get people to visit your website.

Conclusion

Email marketing is still a strong tool for online marketing in 2024. Even with worries about spam and full inboxes, numbers show that email is still very useful:

  • For every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses get $36 back on average. Some businesses even get $70 back.

  • 59% of marketers say email works twice as well as social media and paid ads for getting new customers.

  • Email marketing gets 40 times more customers than Facebook and Twitter put together.

These numbers show that email is still very good for marketing. But to keep it working well, marketers need to:

  1. Make emails fit each person: Use computer programs to send the right emails at the right time.

  2. Follow new rules: Big email companies like Gmail and Yahoo have made new rules to stop spam.

  3. Give useful info: Mix sales messages with helpful tips to keep people interested.

  4. Work with other marketing: Use email with social media and other online marketing to reach more people.

Looking ahead, email marketing will keep being a big part of online marketing plans. By using new tech, making emails easy to read, and following the rules, businesses can use email to:

  • Build good relationships with customers

  • Get more sales

  • Do well in online marketing

Why Email Marketing Still Works

How to Do It Right

High return on money spent

Make emails fit each person

Gets more customers than social media

Follow new email rules

Reaches many people directly

Give useful info, not just ads

Costs less than other marketing

Use with other online marketing

FAQs

Is email marketing still useful?

Yes, email marketing is still very useful in 2024. It's a good way for businesses to talk to customers directly and get more sales. Numbers show it works well:

  • For every $1 spent, businesses can get $36 back

  • It gets more new customers than social media and paid ads

  • It reaches more people than big social media sites

What's new in email marketing for 2024?

In 2024, email marketing is getting smarter:

  • Computers will help make emails fit each person better

  • Emails will be sent based on what customers do

  • Computers might even write some of the emails

What's a good open rate for emails in 2024?

In 2024, more people are opening marketing emails:

Type of Email

Open Rate

Click Rate

All Emails

39.64%

3.2%

Auto Emails

Higher

Higher

These numbers are better than before.

Which is better: email or social media marketing?

Both email and social media marketing are good for different things:

Email Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Getting leads

Making people know your brand

Talking to customers

Doing contests

Selling things

Getting people to visit your website

Makes more money

Can spread fast

Choose based on what you want to do and who you want to reach.

What are the downsides of email marketing?

Email marketing can have some problems:

  • Might annoy people if done wrong

  • Hard to stand out in full inboxes

  • Needs regular work to do well

  • People might stop getting emails if they get too many

To avoid these issues, focus on sending helpful emails and following the rules.

OG: https://app.seobotai.com/profitable.agency/webinars-a-dying-trend-or-lead-generation-lifeline/

Email marketing remains a powerful tool in 2024, offering high ROI and direct customer communication. Here's a quick overview:

  • Still effective: $36 average return for every $1 spent

  • Not spam when done right: Permission-based, targeted, and valuable content

  • Key benefits: Personalization, cost-effective, measurable results

  • Challenges: Inbox clutter, spam filters, legal compliance

To succeed with email marketing:

  • Build a quality list

  • Craft engaging subject lines

  • Optimize for mobile

  • Personalize content

  • Segment your audience

  • Provide value, not just sales pitches

Quick Comparison:

Feature

Email Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Paid Ads

Reach

4.9 billion users

1 billion+ (Facebook)

Varies

Varies

ROI

$36 per $1 spent

Lower

$22 (SEO)

$17 (Search), $2 (Display)

Personalization

High

Limited

Moderate

Moderate

Cost

Very low

Medium

Low

Medium to high

Control

Direct to subscribers

Platform-dependent

Organic growth

Targeted but costly

Measurability

Easy

Platform-dependent

Indirect

Easy

Email marketing remains effective when done properly, balancing personalization, value, and respect for subscribers.

Related video from YouTube


What is Email Marketing and Spam?

Email marketing and spam are often mixed up, but they're quite different. Let's look at what makes them different.

Email Marketing Basics

Email marketing is a way for businesses to send emails to people who want to hear from them. It's about building relationships and giving useful information.

Key parts of email marketing:

  • People agree to get emails

  • Emails are made for specific groups

  • Emails have helpful content

  • Sender is clearly shown

  • Easy to stop getting emails

What Makes an Email Spam

Spam is unwanted emails sent to lots of people at once. These emails are often not useful and can be harmful.

Things that make an email spam:

  • Sent without permission

  • Vague or misleading subject lines

  • Lots of spelling mistakes

  • Sender is hidden

  • No way to stop getting emails

  • Often has dangerous links or files

Email Marketing vs. Spam: Key Differences

Here's a table showing how email marketing and spam are different:

Feature

Email Marketing

Spam

Permission

Asked for

Not asked for

Content

Fits what people want

Random or useless

Sender

Clear and real

Often fake

Unsubscribe

Always there

Usually not there

Subject line

Tells what's inside

Often tricks you

Following rules

Follows email laws

Breaks email laws

Usefulness

Helpful info or deals

Not helpful

How often

Not too much

Too much, random times

Email marketing tries to build trust and help customers. Spam tries to trick people or cause harm. Good email marketers follow the rules and make sure their emails are wanted and helpful.

Why Email Marketing Works

Email marketing is still a strong tool for businesses in 2024. Here's why it works well:

Return on Investment

Email marketing gives businesses more money back compared to other marketing methods.

Marketing Type

Money Back for Every $1 Spent

Email Marketing

$42

Social Media Marketing

$2.80

This shows that email marketing is cheaper and works better for businesses.

Tailoring Messages to Customers

Making emails fit each customer helps them work better:

  • Emails with the customer's name get opened 26% more

  • Emails made for each person lead to 6 times more sales

  • Customers like emails that fit their needs

Ways to make emails fit each person:

  • Use the customer's name

  • Show products they might like

  • Change the email based on where they live or work

Tracking Email Performance

Businesses can see how well their emails are doing by looking at:

  • How many people open the email

  • How many people click links in the email

  • How many people buy something after reading the email

  • How many people stop getting emails

This helps businesses make their emails better over time.

Cost Comparison with Other Marketing

Email marketing costs less than other ways to reach customers:

Marketing Type

Cost to Get One New Customer

Email Marketing

$9.21

Social Media

$18.68

Display Ads

$41.28

Search Engine Ads

$45.27

Email marketing is cheaper and lets businesses send the right message to the right people.

Drawbacks of Email Marketing

While email marketing can work well, it also has some problems that marketers need to handle carefully.

Too Many Emails in Inboxes

People get a lot of emails every day, which can make it hard for marketing emails to work well:

  • About 45% of all emails are spam, so it's hard for good marketing emails to stand out.

  • Many people ignore or delete marketing emails without opening them because they get too many.

  • Marketers need to make very good, personal emails to get noticed in full inboxes.

Getting Past Spam Filters

Spam filters can stop marketing emails from reaching people:

  • Even good marketing emails can get caught by spam filters because of certain words, mistakes, or how they're sent.

  • Email providers often change their rules, which can affect how many emails get through.

  • Marketers need to keep learning how to avoid being marked as spam.

What Can Trigger Spam Filters

How to Avoid It

Using too many sales words

Focus on giving useful info

Bad sender reputation

Keep email list clean

Many bounced emails

Update subscriber info often

Low open and click rates

Make good, relevant content

When Customers Don't Like Marketing Emails

If people don't like marketing emails, it can cause problems:

  • Subscribers might feel the emails are not personal or too pushy.

  • Sending too many emails without good content can make people unsubscribe.

  • Emails that look bad or don't work well on phones can annoy people.

To fix these issues:

  • Let subscribers choose how often they get emails

  • Make personal, useful content

  • Make sure emails look good and work on phones

Legal Risks in Email Marketing

Email marketing has to follow certain laws:

  • The CAN-SPAM Act in the US sets rules for business emails.

  • The GDPR in Europe says people must agree to get marketing emails.

  • Not following these laws can lead to big fines and hurt the company's name.

Important things to do:

  • Put a clear unsubscribe link in every email

  • Have an inbox where customers can send responses

  • Get clear permission before adding people to your email list

  • Clearly show who is sending the email and why

Tips for Better Email Marketing

Here's how to make your email marketing work better in 2024:

Growing a Good Email List

To build a strong email list:

  • Put sign-up forms on your website and social media

  • Give people something good for signing up, like special content or discounts

  • Use double opt-in to make sure people really want your emails

  • Clean your list often by removing emails that don't work

Writing Eye-Catching Subject Lines

Good subject lines make more people open your emails:

  • Keep them short (under 30 characters) for phones

  • Use the person's name if you can

  • Make people curious or feel they need to act fast

  • Try different subject lines to see what works best

Type

Example

Why It Works

Uses Name

"John, Your Special Offer Inside"

Makes it personal

Urgent

"24-Hour Sale Starts Now"

Makes people act fast

Makes Curious

"Learn How to Double Your Money"

Makes people want to know more

Shows Benefit

"5 Ways to Get More Done"

Shows how it helps

Making Emails Work on Mobile

Over half of emails are read on phones, so:

  • Make emails that look good on all screens

  • Use one column so it's easy to scroll

  • Use big enough text (at least 12 points)

  • Put important buttons near the top

  • Check how your email looks on different phones before sending

Customizing Email Content

Make emails fit each person:

  • Group people based on what they like or do

  • Change content for each group

  • Use info you have about people to change parts of the email

  • Send emails based on what people do on your site

Grouping Your Email Audience

Putting people in groups helps send better emails:

  • Make groups based on what people buy, how they use your emails, or who they are

  • Think about different types of customers you have

  • Send different emails to each group

  • Look at how each group responds and change your plan if needed

Giving Readers Useful Information

Good content keeps people interested:

  • Help solve problems people have

  • Give how-to guides, news about your field, or special tips

  • Mix helpful info with some sales stuff

  • Use different types of content like words, pictures, and videos

  • Always try to give more than you ask for

Mistakes That Make Emails Look Like Spam

Some email marketing mistakes can make your messages end up in spam folders. Here's how to avoid them:

Sending Emails Without Permission

Sending emails to people who didn't ask for them is a big no-no. It breaks rules and can hurt your brand.

Don't

Do

Buy email lists

Grow your list naturally

Add contacts without asking

Use double opt-in

Send to old contacts without checking

Clean your email list often

Always get clear permission before adding anyone to your email list.

Using Misleading Subject Lines

Tricky subject lines can lose trust and trigger spam filters. Your subject line should match what's in the email.

Bad subject lines to avoid:

  • "RE: Our talk" (when you didn't talk)

  • "Your account is closed" (when it's just an ad)

  • "You've won!" (when it's just a sale)

Make honest subject lines that get people interested. Keep them short for phones.

Not Including an Unsubscribe Option

Always add a clear way to stop getting emails. It's not just good practice—it's the law in many places.

Remember to:

  • Make the unsubscribe link easy to see

  • Stop sending emails quickly when asked (within 10 work days)

  • Don't charge money or ask for info to unsubscribe

Not Updating Email Lists

Sending to old lists can hurt your emails' success. As your list grows, some addresses become wrong or unused.

To keep your list good:

  • Remove inactive subscribers regularly

  • Check for wrong email addresses

  • Try to re-engage people who haven't opened emails in a long time

Using Fake Sender Information

Using false sender details can break trust and laws. Always be clear about who you are and where your emails come from.

Tips for sender info:

  • Use a name people know (like your brand name)

  • Put a real address in your email footer

  • Set up your email domain correctly

What's Next for Email Marketing

Email marketing is changing. Here's what to expect in the future:

Mixing Email with Other Marketing

Email marketing won't work alone anymore. It will team up with other online marketing:

Marketing Type

How It Works with Email

Social Media

Share email content, get more subscribers

Website

Show pop-ups based on user behavior

Mobile Apps

Send app messages that match emails

Text Messages

Send short texts to support email campaigns

Using Smart Computer Programs in Email Marketing

New computer programs are making email marketing better:

1. Smart Personalization: Programs will guess what customers like and send emails they want.

2. Automatic Emails: Emails will be sent when customers do certain things.

3. Computer-Written Emails: Programs will write good subject lines and email content.

4. Best Time to Send: Programs will figure out when to send emails to each person.

5. Better Customer Groups: Programs will sort customers into groups more accurately.

New Rules for Email Marketing

As email marketing changes, so do the rules:

New Rule

What It Means

Privacy Laws

Stricter rules on how to use customer information

Getting Permission

Clearer ways to ask if people want emails

Easy-to-Read Emails

Emails must be easy for everyone to read

Fair Use of Smart Programs

Rules on how to use computer programs fairly

To follow these rules, email marketers should:

  • Check their email practices often

  • Use tools to manage customer permissions

  • Learn about new rules

  • Be clear about how they use customer information

Email marketing is changing with new computer programs and teamwork with other marketing. By following new rules and using these changes, marketers can keep their emails working well.

Email Marketing vs. Other Digital Marketing

Email marketing is still a top choice for online marketing. Let's see how it compares to other ways of reaching customers online:

What We're Comparing

Email Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Paid Ads

How Many People It Reaches

4.9 billion users by 2017

1 billion+ (Facebook)

Depends

Depends

Money Back for Every $1 Spent

$36 on average, up to $53 in some fields

Less than email

$22 (SEO)

$17 (Search Ads), $2 (Display Ads)

Making It Personal

Very good

Limited

Okay

Okay

Cost

Very low

Medium

Low

Medium to high

Control Over Who Sees It

Direct to subscribers

Depends on platform rules

Grows naturally

Targeted but costs more

Limits on What You Can Say

Few

Platform rules apply

Few

Platform and ad type rules

Measuring Results

Easy to track

Depends on platform

Hard to measure directly

Easy to track

Email marketing stands out because:

  1. It reaches more people than even big social media sites.

  2. It gives back more money for what you spend.

  3. You can make emails fit each person better.

  4. It costs less to reach a lot of people quickly.

But each type of marketing has good points:

  • Social media is good for talking to people right away and making your brand known.

  • Content marketing helps people find you online over time.

  • Paid ads can get quick results and let you choose who sees them.

The best plan is to use different types of marketing together. For example:

  • Use social media to get more email subscribers.

  • Use email to share your content and get people to visit your website.

Conclusion

Email marketing is still a strong tool for online marketing in 2024. Even with worries about spam and full inboxes, numbers show that email is still very useful:

  • For every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses get $36 back on average. Some businesses even get $70 back.

  • 59% of marketers say email works twice as well as social media and paid ads for getting new customers.

  • Email marketing gets 40 times more customers than Facebook and Twitter put together.

These numbers show that email is still very good for marketing. But to keep it working well, marketers need to:

  1. Make emails fit each person: Use computer programs to send the right emails at the right time.

  2. Follow new rules: Big email companies like Gmail and Yahoo have made new rules to stop spam.

  3. Give useful info: Mix sales messages with helpful tips to keep people interested.

  4. Work with other marketing: Use email with social media and other online marketing to reach more people.

Looking ahead, email marketing will keep being a big part of online marketing plans. By using new tech, making emails easy to read, and following the rules, businesses can use email to:

  • Build good relationships with customers

  • Get more sales

  • Do well in online marketing

Why Email Marketing Still Works

How to Do It Right

High return on money spent

Make emails fit each person

Gets more customers than social media

Follow new email rules

Reaches many people directly

Give useful info, not just ads

Costs less than other marketing

Use with other online marketing

FAQs

Is email marketing still useful?

Yes, email marketing is still very useful in 2024. It's a good way for businesses to talk to customers directly and get more sales. Numbers show it works well:

  • For every $1 spent, businesses can get $36 back

  • It gets more new customers than social media and paid ads

  • It reaches more people than big social media sites

What's new in email marketing for 2024?

In 2024, email marketing is getting smarter:

  • Computers will help make emails fit each person better

  • Emails will be sent based on what customers do

  • Computers might even write some of the emails

What's a good open rate for emails in 2024?

In 2024, more people are opening marketing emails:

Type of Email

Open Rate

Click Rate

All Emails

39.64%

3.2%

Auto Emails

Higher

Higher

These numbers are better than before.

Which is better: email or social media marketing?

Both email and social media marketing are good for different things:

Email Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Getting leads

Making people know your brand

Talking to customers

Doing contests

Selling things

Getting people to visit your website

Makes more money

Can spread fast

Choose based on what you want to do and who you want to reach.

What are the downsides of email marketing?

Email marketing can have some problems:

  • Might annoy people if done wrong

  • Hard to stand out in full inboxes

  • Needs regular work to do well

  • People might stop getting emails if they get too many

To avoid these issues, focus on sending helpful emails and following the rules.

OG: https://app.seobotai.com/profitable.agency/webinars-a-dying-trend-or-lead-generation-lifeline/

Email marketing remains a powerful tool in 2024, offering high ROI and direct customer communication. Here's a quick overview:

  • Still effective: $36 average return for every $1 spent

  • Not spam when done right: Permission-based, targeted, and valuable content

  • Key benefits: Personalization, cost-effective, measurable results

  • Challenges: Inbox clutter, spam filters, legal compliance

To succeed with email marketing:

  • Build a quality list

  • Craft engaging subject lines

  • Optimize for mobile

  • Personalize content

  • Segment your audience

  • Provide value, not just sales pitches

Quick Comparison:

Feature

Email Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Paid Ads

Reach

4.9 billion users

1 billion+ (Facebook)

Varies

Varies

ROI

$36 per $1 spent

Lower

$22 (SEO)

$17 (Search), $2 (Display)

Personalization

High

Limited

Moderate

Moderate

Cost

Very low

Medium

Low

Medium to high

Control

Direct to subscribers

Platform-dependent

Organic growth

Targeted but costly

Measurability

Easy

Platform-dependent

Indirect

Easy

Email marketing remains effective when done properly, balancing personalization, value, and respect for subscribers.

Related video from YouTube


What is Email Marketing and Spam?

Email marketing and spam are often mixed up, but they're quite different. Let's look at what makes them different.

Email Marketing Basics

Email marketing is a way for businesses to send emails to people who want to hear from them. It's about building relationships and giving useful information.

Key parts of email marketing:

  • People agree to get emails

  • Emails are made for specific groups

  • Emails have helpful content

  • Sender is clearly shown

  • Easy to stop getting emails

What Makes an Email Spam

Spam is unwanted emails sent to lots of people at once. These emails are often not useful and can be harmful.

Things that make an email spam:

  • Sent without permission

  • Vague or misleading subject lines

  • Lots of spelling mistakes

  • Sender is hidden

  • No way to stop getting emails

  • Often has dangerous links or files

Email Marketing vs. Spam: Key Differences

Here's a table showing how email marketing and spam are different:

Feature

Email Marketing

Spam

Permission

Asked for

Not asked for

Content

Fits what people want

Random or useless

Sender

Clear and real

Often fake

Unsubscribe

Always there

Usually not there

Subject line

Tells what's inside

Often tricks you

Following rules

Follows email laws

Breaks email laws

Usefulness

Helpful info or deals

Not helpful

How often

Not too much

Too much, random times

Email marketing tries to build trust and help customers. Spam tries to trick people or cause harm. Good email marketers follow the rules and make sure their emails are wanted and helpful.

Why Email Marketing Works

Email marketing is still a strong tool for businesses in 2024. Here's why it works well:

Return on Investment

Email marketing gives businesses more money back compared to other marketing methods.

Marketing Type

Money Back for Every $1 Spent

Email Marketing

$42

Social Media Marketing

$2.80

This shows that email marketing is cheaper and works better for businesses.

Tailoring Messages to Customers

Making emails fit each customer helps them work better:

  • Emails with the customer's name get opened 26% more

  • Emails made for each person lead to 6 times more sales

  • Customers like emails that fit their needs

Ways to make emails fit each person:

  • Use the customer's name

  • Show products they might like

  • Change the email based on where they live or work

Tracking Email Performance

Businesses can see how well their emails are doing by looking at:

  • How many people open the email

  • How many people click links in the email

  • How many people buy something after reading the email

  • How many people stop getting emails

This helps businesses make their emails better over time.

Cost Comparison with Other Marketing

Email marketing costs less than other ways to reach customers:

Marketing Type

Cost to Get One New Customer

Email Marketing

$9.21

Social Media

$18.68

Display Ads

$41.28

Search Engine Ads

$45.27

Email marketing is cheaper and lets businesses send the right message to the right people.

Drawbacks of Email Marketing

While email marketing can work well, it also has some problems that marketers need to handle carefully.

Too Many Emails in Inboxes

People get a lot of emails every day, which can make it hard for marketing emails to work well:

  • About 45% of all emails are spam, so it's hard for good marketing emails to stand out.

  • Many people ignore or delete marketing emails without opening them because they get too many.

  • Marketers need to make very good, personal emails to get noticed in full inboxes.

Getting Past Spam Filters

Spam filters can stop marketing emails from reaching people:

  • Even good marketing emails can get caught by spam filters because of certain words, mistakes, or how they're sent.

  • Email providers often change their rules, which can affect how many emails get through.

  • Marketers need to keep learning how to avoid being marked as spam.

What Can Trigger Spam Filters

How to Avoid It

Using too many sales words

Focus on giving useful info

Bad sender reputation

Keep email list clean

Many bounced emails

Update subscriber info often

Low open and click rates

Make good, relevant content

When Customers Don't Like Marketing Emails

If people don't like marketing emails, it can cause problems:

  • Subscribers might feel the emails are not personal or too pushy.

  • Sending too many emails without good content can make people unsubscribe.

  • Emails that look bad or don't work well on phones can annoy people.

To fix these issues:

  • Let subscribers choose how often they get emails

  • Make personal, useful content

  • Make sure emails look good and work on phones

Legal Risks in Email Marketing

Email marketing has to follow certain laws:

  • The CAN-SPAM Act in the US sets rules for business emails.

  • The GDPR in Europe says people must agree to get marketing emails.

  • Not following these laws can lead to big fines and hurt the company's name.

Important things to do:

  • Put a clear unsubscribe link in every email

  • Have an inbox where customers can send responses

  • Get clear permission before adding people to your email list

  • Clearly show who is sending the email and why

Tips for Better Email Marketing

Here's how to make your email marketing work better in 2024:

Growing a Good Email List

To build a strong email list:

  • Put sign-up forms on your website and social media

  • Give people something good for signing up, like special content or discounts

  • Use double opt-in to make sure people really want your emails

  • Clean your list often by removing emails that don't work

Writing Eye-Catching Subject Lines

Good subject lines make more people open your emails:

  • Keep them short (under 30 characters) for phones

  • Use the person's name if you can

  • Make people curious or feel they need to act fast

  • Try different subject lines to see what works best

Type

Example

Why It Works

Uses Name

"John, Your Special Offer Inside"

Makes it personal

Urgent

"24-Hour Sale Starts Now"

Makes people act fast

Makes Curious

"Learn How to Double Your Money"

Makes people want to know more

Shows Benefit

"5 Ways to Get More Done"

Shows how it helps

Making Emails Work on Mobile

Over half of emails are read on phones, so:

  • Make emails that look good on all screens

  • Use one column so it's easy to scroll

  • Use big enough text (at least 12 points)

  • Put important buttons near the top

  • Check how your email looks on different phones before sending

Customizing Email Content

Make emails fit each person:

  • Group people based on what they like or do

  • Change content for each group

  • Use info you have about people to change parts of the email

  • Send emails based on what people do on your site

Grouping Your Email Audience

Putting people in groups helps send better emails:

  • Make groups based on what people buy, how they use your emails, or who they are

  • Think about different types of customers you have

  • Send different emails to each group

  • Look at how each group responds and change your plan if needed

Giving Readers Useful Information

Good content keeps people interested:

  • Help solve problems people have

  • Give how-to guides, news about your field, or special tips

  • Mix helpful info with some sales stuff

  • Use different types of content like words, pictures, and videos

  • Always try to give more than you ask for

Mistakes That Make Emails Look Like Spam

Some email marketing mistakes can make your messages end up in spam folders. Here's how to avoid them:

Sending Emails Without Permission

Sending emails to people who didn't ask for them is a big no-no. It breaks rules and can hurt your brand.

Don't

Do

Buy email lists

Grow your list naturally

Add contacts without asking

Use double opt-in

Send to old contacts without checking

Clean your email list often

Always get clear permission before adding anyone to your email list.

Using Misleading Subject Lines

Tricky subject lines can lose trust and trigger spam filters. Your subject line should match what's in the email.

Bad subject lines to avoid:

  • "RE: Our talk" (when you didn't talk)

  • "Your account is closed" (when it's just an ad)

  • "You've won!" (when it's just a sale)

Make honest subject lines that get people interested. Keep them short for phones.

Not Including an Unsubscribe Option

Always add a clear way to stop getting emails. It's not just good practice—it's the law in many places.

Remember to:

  • Make the unsubscribe link easy to see

  • Stop sending emails quickly when asked (within 10 work days)

  • Don't charge money or ask for info to unsubscribe

Not Updating Email Lists

Sending to old lists can hurt your emails' success. As your list grows, some addresses become wrong or unused.

To keep your list good:

  • Remove inactive subscribers regularly

  • Check for wrong email addresses

  • Try to re-engage people who haven't opened emails in a long time

Using Fake Sender Information

Using false sender details can break trust and laws. Always be clear about who you are and where your emails come from.

Tips for sender info:

  • Use a name people know (like your brand name)

  • Put a real address in your email footer

  • Set up your email domain correctly

What's Next for Email Marketing

Email marketing is changing. Here's what to expect in the future:

Mixing Email with Other Marketing

Email marketing won't work alone anymore. It will team up with other online marketing:

Marketing Type

How It Works with Email

Social Media

Share email content, get more subscribers

Website

Show pop-ups based on user behavior

Mobile Apps

Send app messages that match emails

Text Messages

Send short texts to support email campaigns

Using Smart Computer Programs in Email Marketing

New computer programs are making email marketing better:

1. Smart Personalization: Programs will guess what customers like and send emails they want.

2. Automatic Emails: Emails will be sent when customers do certain things.

3. Computer-Written Emails: Programs will write good subject lines and email content.

4. Best Time to Send: Programs will figure out when to send emails to each person.

5. Better Customer Groups: Programs will sort customers into groups more accurately.

New Rules for Email Marketing

As email marketing changes, so do the rules:

New Rule

What It Means

Privacy Laws

Stricter rules on how to use customer information

Getting Permission

Clearer ways to ask if people want emails

Easy-to-Read Emails

Emails must be easy for everyone to read

Fair Use of Smart Programs

Rules on how to use computer programs fairly

To follow these rules, email marketers should:

  • Check their email practices often

  • Use tools to manage customer permissions

  • Learn about new rules

  • Be clear about how they use customer information

Email marketing is changing with new computer programs and teamwork with other marketing. By following new rules and using these changes, marketers can keep their emails working well.

Email Marketing vs. Other Digital Marketing

Email marketing is still a top choice for online marketing. Let's see how it compares to other ways of reaching customers online:

What We're Comparing

Email Marketing

Social Media

Content Marketing

Paid Ads

How Many People It Reaches

4.9 billion users by 2017

1 billion+ (Facebook)

Depends

Depends

Money Back for Every $1 Spent

$36 on average, up to $53 in some fields

Less than email

$22 (SEO)

$17 (Search Ads), $2 (Display Ads)

Making It Personal

Very good

Limited

Okay

Okay

Cost

Very low

Medium

Low

Medium to high

Control Over Who Sees It

Direct to subscribers

Depends on platform rules

Grows naturally

Targeted but costs more

Limits on What You Can Say

Few

Platform rules apply

Few

Platform and ad type rules

Measuring Results

Easy to track

Depends on platform

Hard to measure directly

Easy to track

Email marketing stands out because:

  1. It reaches more people than even big social media sites.

  2. It gives back more money for what you spend.

  3. You can make emails fit each person better.

  4. It costs less to reach a lot of people quickly.

But each type of marketing has good points:

  • Social media is good for talking to people right away and making your brand known.

  • Content marketing helps people find you online over time.

  • Paid ads can get quick results and let you choose who sees them.

The best plan is to use different types of marketing together. For example:

  • Use social media to get more email subscribers.

  • Use email to share your content and get people to visit your website.

Conclusion

Email marketing is still a strong tool for online marketing in 2024. Even with worries about spam and full inboxes, numbers show that email is still very useful:

  • For every $1 spent on email marketing, businesses get $36 back on average. Some businesses even get $70 back.

  • 59% of marketers say email works twice as well as social media and paid ads for getting new customers.

  • Email marketing gets 40 times more customers than Facebook and Twitter put together.

These numbers show that email is still very good for marketing. But to keep it working well, marketers need to:

  1. Make emails fit each person: Use computer programs to send the right emails at the right time.

  2. Follow new rules: Big email companies like Gmail and Yahoo have made new rules to stop spam.

  3. Give useful info: Mix sales messages with helpful tips to keep people interested.

  4. Work with other marketing: Use email with social media and other online marketing to reach more people.

Looking ahead, email marketing will keep being a big part of online marketing plans. By using new tech, making emails easy to read, and following the rules, businesses can use email to:

  • Build good relationships with customers

  • Get more sales

  • Do well in online marketing

Why Email Marketing Still Works

How to Do It Right

High return on money spent

Make emails fit each person

Gets more customers than social media

Follow new email rules

Reaches many people directly

Give useful info, not just ads

Costs less than other marketing

Use with other online marketing

FAQs

Is email marketing still useful?

Yes, email marketing is still very useful in 2024. It's a good way for businesses to talk to customers directly and get more sales. Numbers show it works well:

  • For every $1 spent, businesses can get $36 back

  • It gets more new customers than social media and paid ads

  • It reaches more people than big social media sites

What's new in email marketing for 2024?

In 2024, email marketing is getting smarter:

  • Computers will help make emails fit each person better

  • Emails will be sent based on what customers do

  • Computers might even write some of the emails

What's a good open rate for emails in 2024?

In 2024, more people are opening marketing emails:

Type of Email

Open Rate

Click Rate

All Emails

39.64%

3.2%

Auto Emails

Higher

Higher

These numbers are better than before.

Which is better: email or social media marketing?

Both email and social media marketing are good for different things:

Email Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Getting leads

Making people know your brand

Talking to customers

Doing contests

Selling things

Getting people to visit your website

Makes more money

Can spread fast

Choose based on what you want to do and who you want to reach.

What are the downsides of email marketing?

Email marketing can have some problems:

  • Might annoy people if done wrong

  • Hard to stand out in full inboxes

  • Needs regular work to do well

  • People might stop getting emails if they get too many

To avoid these issues, focus on sending helpful emails and following the rules.

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Book a quick call and fill out the short form to get a tailored audit on the specific problems you are facing.

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Get a free

business audit

Book a quick call and fill out the short form to get a tailored audit on the specific problems you are facing.

It's time to actually achieve your revenue forecast

Attract new clients and unlock new business growth with our proven acquisition funnels and resources.

Profitable Agency

New York

London

© 2024 Profitable Agency

All rights reserved.

It's time to actually achieve your revenue forecast

Attract new clients and unlock new business growth with our proven acquisition funnels and resources.

Profitable Agency

New York

London

© 2024 Profitable Agency

All rights reserved.

It's time to actually achieve your revenue forecast

Attract new clients and unlock new business growth with our proven acquisition funnels and resources.

Profitable Agency

New York

London

© 2024 Profitable Agency

All rights reserved.