Why Email Remains the Best Marketing Channel: Reasons and Best Practices

While the whole world is excitedly discussing the Metaverse and AI, talking about email marketing might sound a bit… old. But it is precisely that "old" method that is quietly nurturing many brands. Some people even place almost their entire marketing gamble on email—not out of a lack of choices, but because they believe in something very simple.

That thing is: almost everyone opens their inbox at least once a day. If you have a decent reason to be in that inbox and content that is good enough, you are talking directly to your customers—something that social media algorithms can take away from you at any time. The only catch is that people don't read every email. They only read good emails.

Why Email Still Stands Firm in a Noisy World

The biggest strength of email is not low cost, but ownership. An email list is your asset; social media followers belong to the platform. A single algorithm change or new policy is enough to send reach plummeting. Meanwhile, the inbox remains right there, waiting for you to knock.

Email is also one of the rare channels that allows you to speak one-on-one at scale. Sending to thousands of people at once while still saying "I", still telling a personal story, and still addressing the exact concerns of each customer group. You don't need to chase trends, shoot videos every day, or guess what format the algorithm likes. You just need to write to the right person, address the right pain point, and hit at the right time.

The Numbers Are on Email's Side

Saying email is still alive is not just a sentiment. Here are the numbers worth pinning to your wall:

• Every $1 spent on email marketing brings back an average of $36 in revenue.
• The world has about 4 billion email users daily, projected to hit 4.6 billion by 2025.
• Email marketing revenue is approaching $10 billion and is projected to reach $17.9 billion by 2027.
• 37% of brands are increasing their email budgets, while only 1.3% are cutting back.
• In B2B, 81% of marketers say newsletters are the content type they rely on the most.
• 99% of users check their email daily, with many opening it up to 20 times.
• The majority of users across all age groups—from Baby Boomers to Gen Z—view email as the most personal way to stay in touch.

The comforting paradox is: the more new platforms emerge, the more email proves its durability. But don't celebrate too soon, because another statistic is quietly narrowing your opportunities.

The Attention Window Is Shrinking

In 2018, a person spent an average of 13.4 seconds reading brand emails. In 2020, it dropped to 11.8 seconds. By 2021, it was down to about 10 seconds. Three years, losing nearly a quarter of the time—not because people are lazier, but because their inboxes are increasingly crowded.

The logical consequence is that about 63% of businesses have had to reduce their sending frequency based on engagement levels. Sending more is no longer a strategy, but the fastest way to get added to the "never open" list. The game has shifted from quantity to quality: good emails are still read, bad emails are deleted without being opened—even if the subject line includes a discount code.

Why Old-School Sales Emails Are Outdated

Most emails are sent to sell something, and that is completely normal—businesses have to survive. The problem is that recipients see right through that intention after half a second. Aggressive campaigns urging "buy now before you miss out," instilling a fear of missing out on an opportunity the customer never asked for, are losing effectiveness.

Readers don't need another pitch. They need a reason to believe that opening your email isn't wasting 10 precious seconds.

Interestingly, everyone knows we use automation tools to send thousands of emails at once. But the feeling can still be very personal. The difference lies not in the tool, but in how the writer treats the reader.

Three Principles to Get Emails Read and Acted Upon

Before hitting Send, check these three things yourself. It sounds simple, but this is the boundary between an email being deleted and an email being replied to.

1. Open with a story. It doesn't need to be sensational, just personal enough to build a real connection. A moment in your day, a mistake you just made, something you just realized—all of these can open a good email.
2. Always give away something of value. Every email should contain at least one of the following: an analysis, a fresh perspective, a bit of entertainment, or an inspiring story. That way, even if readers aren't interested in the product you're introducing, they still feel they haven't wasted their time.
3. Bring back the human element. Instead of shouting "here is a 25% discount code," explain why you chose that amount, why right now, why for this exact group of people. A short explanation can turn a promotion into a polite act.

The common thread among all three is respect: respecting the reader's intelligence, respecting their time, and respecting yourself by not lowering your brand voice into a billboard.

Quick Checklist Before Clicking Send

To turn these principles into habits, try this checklist for every email:

• Does the subject line speak to what the reader cares about, or is it just trying to shock?
• Does the opening paragraph touch on a real emotion or situation?
• Do readers get something useful even if they don't make a purchase?
• Does the offer come with a clear reason, rather than just a dry number?
• Is this email worth 10 seconds of their time?

The last question is the hardest, and also the most important. Every time you hit Send, you are asking the reader for a piece of time they cannot take back. Make it worth it.

Is Email Really Number One in Every Case?

I still want to maintain a necessary skepticism. Email is strong at nurturing relationships and closing sales with people who already know you. But to create demand from scratch, you still need other channels: search content, social media, communities, or public relations. Email is where you harvest, not necessarily where you plant the first seed.

If your product is too new, too abstract, or customers barely use email for work, your email list might only be a secondary channel. Unfortunately, many people either idealize email or ignore it completely. Both lack balance.

A more reasonable approach is to view email as the backbone of your marketing system. Other channels bring strangers to the door; email invites them inside, pours them a drink, and chats. Missing either, the story struggles to reach the end.

So don't start by choosing an email sending tool. Start with the question: "What can I send my readers every week that they will genuinely find worthwhile?" Answer that, and you have your foundation. If your open rates are in freefall, try doing the opposite of your instinct: send less, write more carefully, and see what happens over two months.

One thing I still wonder: is email truly the best channel for every business, or just the best channel for those patient enough to write decently? I lean toward the latter. Channels don't create results—writers create results.

What about you? When was the last time you read a marketing email completely through and genuinely enjoyed it? Which brand was it, and what kept you reading down to the last line? Tell us in the comments—maybe your story will help someone else write better.

If you found this helpful, save it and share it with colleagues who are struggling with their inboxes. And come back here often, as we will dissect many other angles of marketing together—slowly and kindly.