What is email marketing and why does it matter?

Email allows businesses to connect globally within minutes. With over 3.9 billion email addresses worldwide, email presents a powerful opportunity for small businesses to engage customers and build lasting relationships.

More than 40% of B2B marketers consider email the most critical factor in marketing success. About 80% of business professionals rely on it for customer retention. When done right, email offers the highest ROI of any marketing channel—$52 for every dollar spent as of 2019. Additionally, 73% of consumers say email is their preferred marketing method.

While other marketing channels offer visibility and buzz, email has quietly and consistently delivered results for over a decade.

What is email marketing?

At its core, email marketing is simply using email to promote products or services. But successful email marketing goes beyond that—it’s about building relationships.

We’re all familiar with bad email marketing. Just check your spam folder—clickbait, phishing attempts, and pop-up-filled messages are poor examples. Unfortunately, these have given email marketing a mixed reputation. But businesses using thoughtful strategies continue to see strong engagement.

Effective email marketing is a two-way street. It’s about building trust—gaining subscribers, learning about them, responding to their needs, and keeping them informed. It’s less about blasting promotions and more about listening and adapting.

Common email marketing strategies

Welcome emails

These are the first emails a new subscriber receives. A well-crafted welcome email sets expectations and builds trust. They often have the highest open rates of any campaign.

Newsletters

A regular newsletter keeps your audience informed about your company, products, and industry updates. It’s a great space to highlight recent customer reviews, research, or insights.

Special offers

Email is a fast way to announce sales or promotions. With behavioral targeting, you can personalize offers—for example, alerting customers when their favorite items are discounted or sending loyal customers exclusive deals.

Brand updates

When your brand or products change, use email to keep subscribers in the loop. Customers also expect email confirmations and shipping notifications—so make it easy for them to track orders and delivery.

Reminders

Automated reminders like abandoned cart emails can nudge customers back to complete their purchases. Retargeting emails can suggest related products based on past browsing behavior.

Personal celebrations

Many brands send personalized messages for birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones. These emails make subscribers feel valued and increase engagement.

Explore platforms like Mailchimp for ready-to-use email templates, and review best practices before launching your first campaign.