Every year some marketing blogger declares email dead. Every year email continues to deliver the highest ROI of any marketing channel — $36 for every $1 spent, according to just about every study that's been done in the last decade.
Email isn't dead. Your email strategy is dead. There's a difference.
I talk to business owners who either (a) don't collect emails at all, (b) have a list they haven't emailed in two years, or (c) send a newsletter that reads like a ransom note — all caps, no structure, BUY NOW CLICK HERE SALE SALE SALE.
None of that is email marketing. Let me show you what is.
Why Email Beats Everything Else
You own the list. Your Instagram followers? Meta owns those. Your Google rankings? Google can change the algorithm tomorrow. Your email list is yours. Nobody can throttle it, algorithm-change it away, or charge you more to reach it.
Intent is built in. Everyone on your email list opted in. They raised their hand and said "yes, I want to hear from you." That's a warmer audience than any ad campaign can deliver.
The math is stupid good. A list of 1,000 engaged subscribers is worth more than 10,000 Instagram followers. If you email 1,000 people and 20% open it, that's 200 people seeing your message. Compare that to posting on Instagram where 5% of your followers see it — and most of them scroll past.
The Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
Mistake #1: Not collecting emails.
You interact with customers every day — in person, on your website, at events, through purchases. If you're not collecting emails at every one of those touchpoints, you're letting your most valuable marketing asset walk out the door.
Put a signup on your website (with a reason to sign up — "Get our monthly insider tips" beats "Subscribe to our newsletter"). Add it to your checkout process. Put a fishbowl at the register. Use a tablet at events. Whatever works for your business — just collect.
Mistake #2: Emailing too infrequently.
I hear this all the time: "I don't want to bother people." You're not bothering them. They signed up. They want to hear from you. The businesses that email once a quarter get forgotten. The ones that email weekly or biweekly stay top of mind.
You know what actually bothers people? Getting one email after six months of silence that's clearly just a sales push. That feels like a cold call from someone you forgot existed.
Consistent communication builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. Trust builds sales. Email every two weeks at minimum.
Mistake #3: Making every email a sales pitch.
The fastest way to kill your email list is to make every email an ask. "Buy this." "Book now." "Sale this weekend." People stop opening, then they unsubscribe, then your list is dead.
The 80/20 rule works here: 80% value, 20% ask. Share useful tips. Tell stories about your work. Give behind-the-scenes looks at your business. Educate your audience. Then, when you do ask for the sale, people actually read it because they've been getting value all along.
Mistake #4: No segmentation.
Sending the same email to everyone on your list is like running the same TV commercial to teenagers and retirees. It works for neither.
Even basic segmentation makes a huge difference:
- Past customers vs. prospects (different messages for different stages)
- Service interest (someone who asked about web design doesn't need your PPC content)
- Location (Franklin customers get Franklin-relevant content)
Most email platforms let you segment easily. Even a simple tag system transforms your results.
What a Good Email Strategy Looks Like
Frequency: Every 2 weeks at minimum. Weekly is better if you have enough to say.
Format: Keep it simple. A short intro (2-3 sentences), one piece of value (tip, insight, story), and a soft CTA at the end. Not a designed masterpiece — plain text emails often outperform designed ones because they feel personal.
Subject lines: Short, specific, and curiosity-driven. "The $300 mistake I see every week" beats "March Newsletter Update." Your subject line is the only thing that determines whether someone opens.
Content mix:
- Week 1: Useful tip or industry insight
- Week 2: Client story or case study
- Week 3: Behind-the-scenes or personal story
- Week 4: Offer or direct CTA
Welcome sequence: When someone joins your list, don't let their first email be two weeks later. Set up an automated 3-email welcome sequence:
- Immediate: Thanks for joining + your best piece of content
- Day 3: Who you are and what you do (keep it human)
- Day 7: Your most popular piece of content or best offer
The Numbers to Watch
Don't obsess over vanity metrics. Watch these:
- Open rate: 20-25% is average. Below 15% means your subject lines need work or your list is stale.
- Click rate: 2-5% is solid. Track what content gets clicks.
- Unsubscribe rate: Under 0.5% per email is healthy. Over 1% means something's wrong with frequency or content.
- Revenue per email: This is the one that matters. Track how many sales, calls, or bookings each email generates.
Start Today
You don't need fancy software to start. Mailchimp is free up to 500 contacts. So is MailerLite. ConvertKit has a free tier too.
Pick one. Import whatever emails you have. Write a short, honest email about what your business does and why you care about it. Hit send.
That's your first email. Now do it again in two weeks. And two weeks after that. Build the habit. Build the list. Build the revenue channel that nobody can take away from you.
If you want help building an email strategy that actually drives revenue, let's talk about it.
Long Drive Marketing builds marketing systems that include email, SEO, PPC, and more. The whole funnel. [See our services →](/services)