In an era of eye-catching social media advertising and viral media, the humble email list is often an afterthought. But if you dig into the numbers, email marketing consistently surpasses nearly every other digital marketing channel. Without an email list, you’re leaving money, relationships, and potential for growth on the table.

Let’s take a look at why you’re making a mistake if you ignore email marketing and dig in to ten iterations of this very important subject matter to get you moving from “not yet” to “let’s go.”

Email marketing has an average ROI (return on investment) of $42 for every $1 spent. That’s more than social media, paid search, and influencer marketing combined. Why? Emails arrive directly in a person’s inbox — a private space. Email is immune to the algorithm: Email is your direct line to your audience.

Stat to know: 4 billion people use email daily, with 99% checking their inbox at least once a day. If you aren’t emailing them, someone else is.

The good news is that getting started with email marketing isn’t as complicated as you might think. Select an email marketing service (like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign), build a basic sign-up form and integrate it into your website or social media accounts.

Getting started tip with emails: Use a free tool, create a welcome email sequence and provide something of value to your service; a checklist, power pack or guide.

And speaking of free, there’s one tool I recommend for start-up to build an email list. It’s Systeme.io, an all in one marketing platform. It have a free lifetime plan that you can have 2000 contacts and can email unlimited.

I even wrote an extensive review about Systeme,io. Click here to read more.

Many entrepreneurs fail with email marketing not because email marketing doesn’t work, but because of common errors:

Buying email lists: Tends to cause spam complaints and is often low engagement

Not emailing consistently: If you don’t send emails regularly, your subscribers forget who you are.

Ignoring segmentation: It’s not effective to spend the same message to everyone.

[Pro tip: Grow your list organically and nurture the audience, at least on an ongoing basis]

Your email list is your audience that you own. Unlike social media followers, who might vanish with a single algorithm nudge, your email list belongs to you. It’s a two-way communication that builds relationships and trust.

Stats to know: Companies with email lists grow 3.9x faster than those that depend on social.

With the right tools, building and managing an email list is simple:

Lead generation: Use Sumo or OptinMonster for pop-ups and forms

Email automation: Tools like ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign to automate welcome sequences and broadcasts.

Analytics: Platforms such as Google Analytics provide insights on how your forms and emails are performing.

Budget tip: Most of these tools have free plans that are more than adequate for newcomers. And the tool I suggest is the Systeme. io

Lead magnets are the secret sauce for list building. Make it something helpful, topical and immediately available in return for an email. Examples:

Stat to know: HubSpot found that companies with effective lead magnets have 2x higher conversion rates on sign-up forms.

If your open rates hover below 20% or your click-through rates (CTR) are under 2%, it may be time to shore up your email strategy. Other warning signs include high rates of unsubscribing or emails being sent to spam folders.

Quick fixes:

Let’s clear some things up:

“Email is outdated.” False. Email is still the most lucrative digital marketing channel.

“Social media is enough.” False. Social platforms own your audience; you own your email list.

“Promotional emails, people hate them.” False. If your emails add value, they willlove your emails.

Fiction: 72% of consumers prefer to receive promotional content via email as opposed to social media.

For instance, you spend $100 on email marketing and another $100 on Facebook ads. Which generates more sales?

Email: $4,200 in ROI.

Social media: $200-$300 return on investment, depending on your niche.

Real-world example: E-commerce brands like Glossier send emails announcing product drops that generated 3x more revenue than similar social media campaigns.

And many entrepreneurs stay away from email marketing because they think it’s too technical or they don’t know what to say. But opting out of email marketing is like opening a boutique and neglecting to collect your customers’ contact information.

Encouragement for newbies: Keep it small. Having just an email list of 50 people can start gaining traction. The secret is consistency and value.

Email marketing is not only a strategy; it’s an asset.

The Foundations of Building an Email List By not building an email list, you’re missing consistent revenue, stronger relationships with your audience, and a direct way to sell your products or services.

Ready to get started?

Your future self — and your bottom line — will thank you.

Are you ready to turn your email list dreams into a reality? Here's a mini course that will teach you How to Make $100 per Day with Your Email List. Click here for more details.