What is email marketing?
TL;DR
Email marketing is sending promotional or transactional messages to a list of subscribers who opted in. It returns $36 for every $1 spent on average, making it the highest-ROI channel for most small businesses.
Detailed answer
- 1.Average ROI: $36 per $1 spent (DMA 2024).
- 2.Average open rate: 21-25% across industries.
- 3.Best types: welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, weekly newsletter.
- 4.Best tools: Klaviyo (e-commerce), ConvertKit (creators), Mailchimp (general).
- 5.Build the list with a strong lead magnet, not just 'subscribe to our newsletter'.
Common mistakes
- 1. Buying or scraping email lists (kills deliverability).
- 2. Sending only promotions and no value content.
- 3. Ignoring segmentation and blasting the same message to everyone.
What to do instead
Start with three core flows: welcome (5 emails), post-purchase (3 emails), winback (3 emails). These will drive 40-60% of total email revenue.
Segment your list by behavior, not demographics. A customer who bought in the last 30 days deserves a very different email than someone who hasn't opened in 6 months.
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