Why email marketing isn’t going out of fashion

It shouldn’t.

Email remains a cornerstone of effective marketing and comms strategies. Against the changing tides of digital fashion and algorithms, it offers a direct, efficient and effective way to build and nurture owned audiences.

Scale, attention and intent

Let’s start with scale. According to Statista, the global number of email users reached 4.26 billion in 2022. That’s expected to grow to 4.73 billion by 2026. Fashionable or not, there’s no ignoring the fact that email offers access to a vast and still-growing potential audience.

And unlike social media, where calls to action can get lost in the sea of content, email delivers messages straight to the recipient’s inbox. It’s 1:1, from you to them – and that ensures your well-crafted message is more likely to be seen and acted on.

Consider the average organic reach of the most popular social platforms.

Social media marketing is nearly all pay-to-play, with organic posts being seen by only a tiny slice of your followers – in Facebook’s case, just one in 50. The average EDM open rate? Almost 20 times higher, with even average EDMs being opened by close to two in five subscribers.

The data around engagement is even more stark, especially considering we are comparing people simply liking or commenting on a post to people clicking through to visit your website.

That click-through rate, of course, is just an industry benchmark. With the right strategy and the right content, Mahlab routinely sees click-through rates hit 20 or even 30 per cent.

It doesn’t take too much digging to figure out why email can drive stronger engagement than social. Social media platforms are optimised for one thing above all others – keeping people on-platform and scrolling. Email inboxes, on the other hand, aren’t many people’s idea of a good time. It’s why email content can be much more effective in driving action online.

Why email marketing is so effective

Email also gives you control, beyond being beholden to big tech’s algorithms.

You can deliver broad messages to thousands of recipients at once, or you can go deep, tailoring things for just a handful of key prospects, or even a single individual. Hello, ABM.

That’s because owning and managing email channels allows for content tailored the way you want it, not the way a platform does. Rather than fixed templates and formats, you get more control over the way the message looks and feels.

Personalisation plays a crucial role here too. According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing Report, marketers who offer personalised experiences are more than three times more likely to consider their marketing strategy very effective.

Source: Hubspot 2024 State of Marketing Report

Knowing the audience

The power of so much digital marketing is in the data – the ability to understand what is resonating and retarget audiences depending on their actions.

Again, email has unappreciated strengths here, giving incredibly granular data about audience engagement and behaviour. This goes beyond what is being engaged with to encompass exactly who is clicking on what, and when.

Crucially, it is also first-party data, making it more accurate, reliable and useful. And every email sent is an opportunity to run experiments with A/B tests to sharpen your insights about what drives action in your audiences.

It also goes without saying that the content of your email needs to be engaging. All the clever targeting in the world won’t make up for flat, uninspiring content greeting readers after opening.

Be prepared to be bold. Find a way to talk to your audience that’s both attention-grabbing and true to your message and values. Speak directly to them in relatable, human terms they can connect with.

Part of the bigger picture

None of this is to say the email is the be-all and end-all. As effective as email can be, modern campaigns demand multi-channel strategies. In most cases, email is one key component of a broader, cohesive communication plan. But whether it’s email or another channel, singing from the same song sheet is key.

Aligning email with social media, paid media and other channels creates a unified message. Messages can be fine-tuned for different channels, but having one overarching story and telling it consistently is what builds trust.

Investing in email and other owned channels is also an opportunity to build long-term resilience. Digital trends and technologies will always evolve, but email and other owned channels provide an enduring, continuous connection with your audience and more control over the way you engage with them.  

At Mahlab, we focus on work that works. Fashionable or not, email marketing works when it’s done well.

‘Done well’ starts with a deep understanding of your message and your audience. With those in place, you can focus on the personalisation and content that connects them. That’s where we can help. Driven by curiosity, we’ll invest in understanding your business, products and audiences better than anyone else, then help create the strategies and content that turns that understanding into impact.