Why I Started Questioning Email Marketing
Around 2021–2022, I noticed something alarming. My open rates were dropping, click-throughs were inconsistent, and engagement felt flat. Everyone around me said the same thing: “People don’t read emails anymore.”
So, like any curious marketer, I decided to test it instead of just accepting the narrative.
I ran three campaigns side by side:
- A paid social media ad promoting a lead magnet.
- A Google PPC campaign targeting the same audience.
- A personalized email sequence sent to a small segment of my existing list.
The results? The email campaign brought in three times more conversions and cost less than half the ad budget.
That’s when I realized email wasn’t dying. It was simply being outperformed by bad execution.
The Real Problem: How Most People Use Email Wrong
Here’s what I see happening:
- Businesses still send bulk, impersonal emails with zero segmentation.
- Subject lines sound like 2010 clickbait.
- People treat email as a dumping ground for promotions instead of conversations.
When you do that, of course your emails die in the inbox. The fix isn’t to quit email it’s to evolve how you use it.
In Email Marketing, I explained how segmentation, automation, and human tone make all the difference. Let’s go deeper here.
How I Revived My Own Email Strategy
When my list started disengaging, I rebuilt my approach from the ground up.
Here’s what actually worked:
Segmentation before sending. I broke my list into smaller groups based on what they signed up for guides, courses, or case studies. This instantly made my content more relevant.
Real storytelling. Instead of hard-selling, I started writing emails like I’d talk to a friend. I shared lessons, failures, and test results. People responded to authenticity.
Fewer, better emails. I cut back from sending three emails a week to one strong weekly send. Engagement went up.
Automation with intent. I used ConvertKit and Klaviyo to deliver sequences that matched a subscriber’s interest automatically. No more “one-size-fits-all.”
I cover my favorite tools and workflow in “Email Automation Tools That Actually Work (After Testing 15+ Platforms)” if you want to see the exact setup.
The ROI Reality: Numbers Don’t Lie
If you ever doubt whether email still works, look at the ROI.
Across my campaigns in 2024–2025, I’ve consistently seen:
- $30–$45 return per $1 spent.
- 42% average open rate on segmented campaigns.
- 20%+ CTR on highly personalized automation flows.
No other channel gives me this much control and predictability. Unlike social media algorithms that can tank reach overnight, I own my list.
If you want to understand how I track and calculate ROI properly, I explain the full process with real campaign math in “Analyzing Email Campaign ROI”.
Email vs Social Media: The Truth
I love social media for awareness, but it doesn’t build real relationships the way email does.
Social platforms are noisy. You’re competing with memes, trending sounds, and cat videos. With email, you get a direct line to your audience no algorithm in between.
In one experiment, I promoted the same digital offer via Instagram Stories and a 3-email nurture sequence. The email sequence outperformed by 3x conversions and 5x ROI.
It’s not that social doesn’t work it’s just not built for depth. Email is.
The Evolution of Email in 2025
What’s keeping email alive is evolution.
- We’re moving from broadcasts to behavior-based personalization.
- From generic newsletters to dynamic experiences.
- From guesswork to data-driven engagement.
AI and automation are helping create smarter, more personalized campaigns. But no matter how advanced the tools get, what really keeps email alive is trust.
People still open emails from brands they trust and that’s something no algorithm can replace.
Final Thoughts
So, is email marketing dead in 2025? Not even close.
It’s thriving for marketers who treat it as a conversation, not a sales channel. If your emails feel like spam, the problem isn’t the medium it’s the message.
If you’re serious about bringing your email strategy back to life, start by checking out Guide to Email Marketing for a complete walkthrough of how I structure campaigns that perform in today’s inbox.
And if you want to see how I increased my open rates by over 40%, go read “Best Practices That Actually Increased My Email Open Rates (By 40%)” that’s where the real magic starts.
