In a 2014 column by the late New York Times columnist David Carr, tech CEO Jason Hirschorn was quoted saying, “Email is a 40-year-old technology that is not going away for very good reasons — it’s the cockroach of the Internet.”

Hirschorn was correct.

In fact, email marketing and email newsletters have experienced a triumphant resurgence in the past few years. Email is often an organized counterpoint to the endless, uncurated streams of information found elsewhere online.

As Carr went on to put it, “An email generally shows up in your inbox because you asked for it and it includes links to content you have deemed relevant… seems like a suddenly modern approach.”  

He has a point. Every few years a new platform or technology arrives which threatens to kill email but each time email prevails.

Here are five reasons email and email marketing continue to prevail:

X Reasons Why Email Marketing Isn't Dead

1. Almost Everyone Uses Email

Email dominates the digital economy. It remains the go-to messaging platform for nearly everything, from Amazon to the IRS. In fact, according to Hubspot, 91% of consumers use email. In the B2B space email is particularly strong, 73% of businesses use it as their primary form of communication.

Regardless of which industry or space you’re in, the overwhelming majority of your customers rely upon email.

 

2. Email Engagement Remains Strong  

Being the dominate digital messaging platform for 40 years is self-reinforcing; we treat our email as authoritative because it’s always been like that. This mentality means that we are much more likely to act upon our emails when compared to other forms of digital marketing or advertising. Email marketing remains strong because most people pay close attention to their email, and thus act upon it more often.

 

3. Email Marketing is Really Affordable

Particularly in the last 4-5 years, email marketing services have become both powerful and affordable. The very popular platform Mailchimp comes standard with all sorts of smart functionality like automation as well as strong analytics. This functionality was once the domain of elite and expensive enterprise email platforms and now it’s available for as low as $1o a month. Mailchimp also has a limited plan that’s free.

The lower price point available on email marketing platforms makes it an accessible way for startups and small businesses alike to create a robust marketing strategy while operating on a minimal budget.

Long story short, email marketing is a channel where a lot can be done for a very small price.

 

4. Email Marketing Provides Valuable Analytics

Email marketing creates a feedback loop with your customers. After a campaign is deployed, its efficacy can be quickly determined via analytics. Run enough campaigns and you’re able to narrow down the factors that influence an email’s resonance with your subscribers. Open rates, click through rates and other KPIs consistently take the temperature of your audience.

This feedback loop can be extremely valuable, providing you with a constant stream of actionable business information. This information keeps your business customer-centric and forward-looking.

 

5. It’s Quick (Thanks to Mobile)

More than 50% of emails are now opened on mobile devices, often within minutes of receiving them. This means, email marketing has a quick and direct line to customers. Use this wisely and your business can forge a strong and immediate connection with customers.

 

Conclusion

The reason why email marketing is alive and well is because it remains effective, cheap, quick and insightful. An email marketing program almost always helps to grow businesses and forge a deeper connection with an audience. Email marketing will remain an essential piece of digital marketing for a long time to come.

Want Help with Email Marketing?

You’re invited to register for our in-depth email marketing master class:

Email Marketing Bootcamp

We designed this class to help you get all of your email marketing systems up and running properly, in just 30 days.

You’ll get step-by-step training, plus hands-on implementation help and expert consulting from our team.

Click here to learn more and sign up