Are the days of email as a successful marketing channel waning?
The statistics argue no: About two-thirds of content marketers told CMI they use email newsletters or other email to distribute their content in 2023. About the same number said the same for 2022.
But 2023 kicked off with dramatic comments from a CEO who claimed he’s turned to social media to reach Gen Z (and even millennial) employees who don’t read email.
If CEOs can’t reach their employees by email (admittedly, that’s a big if), what hope do marketers have to reach an audience that doesn’t have the incentive of a paycheck on the line?
We asked the content and marketing leaders, practitioners, and experts speaking at Content Marketing World this September whether 2024 will be the year email falls from its status as the channel marketers just can’t quit and what (if anything) would take its place.
Hell, no, we won’t let email marketing go
A big chunk of the answers can be summed up in a simple phrase: Email isn’t going anywhere. The reasons why, though, add interesting nuance, directions, and caveats to consider as you plan the future of your email efforts.
You’re in control
The best part about email is it provides a direct connection to the audience. On the other platforms, someone else controls the algorithm that dictates what a person sees. I don’t foresee anything topping email anytime soon. – Ruth Carter, evil genius, Geek Law Firm
Owned channels are more important than ever in light of what’s going on at Twitter and TikTok. I believe our email lists are and will continue to be a meaningful resource for us. – Hayden Goethe, senior content marketing strategist, WEX
No one can stop it
When it comes to content marketing, email continues to reign as the true king of the hill, and there’s one simple reason behind its enduring supremacy: No one can shut it down.
Email stands as a fully distributed and decentralized communication mechanism that remains impervious to the control of any single company. This unparalleled resilience allows it to remain highly effective in directly reaching people, with minimal interference from the AI systems employed by others.
Unlike social media, where various AI models often hinder our ability to reliably connect with our audiences, or search engines and search engine marketing that face similar limitations, email stands apart. Even in the realm of paid advertising, AI algorithms can still pose obstacles.
However, email is one of the few channels where AI cannot impede our progress. As a result, it will continue to hold its throne as the reigning king of the hill for the foreseeable future. – Christopher Penn, chief data scientist, TrustInsights.ai
Email marketing works
Marketers depend on this channel for good reasons, not the least of which are it’s owned, it generates a response, and it doesn’t yet have a close competitor.
According to HubSpot’s Ultimate List of Email Marketing Stats for 2023, 77% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months, email marketing revenue is estimated to reach almost $11 billion by the end of 2023, and 99% of email users check their inbox every day, with some checking 20 times a day.
In fact, one of my financial clients just told us that a two-email campaign we did for them generated $2.5 million in deposits. That makes the channel pretty hard to quit, at least for now. – Nancy Harhut, chief creative officer, HBT Marketing
You can’t beat the performance
Email will continue to be a favorite channel for marketers in 2024. Highly personalized, relevant, and authentic email content will continue to be tough to unseat in terms of performance. Like it or not, it is still a top channel for consumer preference in taking care of business. – Tiffany Grinstead, vice president, Nationwide
Social instability raises email marketing importance
Email isn’t going anywhere. It’s going to continue being a primary broadcast channel for owned content. If anything, I could see it being even more important with the fall of social channels like Twitter. – Karen Hopper, senior director, performance marketing, Bully Pulpit Interactive
It’s cost-effective
As fragmentation continues and platforms extract more dollars per thousand, email remains the most cost-effective way to get in front of people who have volunteered to hear from you. – Adam Pierno, managing director of brand strategy, Arizona State University
You’re invited
Email will always win. Customers invited you into their inboxes. Don’t mess it up. Social media platforms and usage will come and go. Email unsubscribes will happen, so it’s up to us to make sure we don’t give our subscribers a reason to do that. – Cathy McPhillips, chief growth officer, Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute
Read More at Content Marketing Institute
