Every few years someone declares email is dead. Social media killed it. Messaging apps killed it. AI killed it. And yet here we are, and email marketing still delivers the highest return on investment of any channel. On average, for every pound spent, businesses get back around thirty-six.
Not pence. Pounds.
No other channel comes close. Email wins because it’s direct, personal, and — crucially — you own it. Nobody can change an algorithm and suddenly make your emails invisible.
Why email works so well
You own the list. Your Instagram followers aren’t yours — they’re Instagram’s. If the platform changes its algorithm or bans your account, those followers vanish. Your email list belongs to you. You can download it, move it, use it regardless of what any tech company decides.
People check their email. The average person checks their inbox 15 times a day. Your email doesn’t need to fight dancing videos and political arguments for attention.
It’s personal. An email feels one-to-one in a way a social post doesn’t. That builds a relationship Facebook simply can’t match.
Choosing a platform
You need an email marketing tool — don’t try to do this from your regular inbox. You’ll hit sending limits and end up in spam folders.
Mailchimp is the most well-known. Free for up to 500 contacts. Intuitive interface, decent templates. Got pricier over the years but still solid for starting out.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) charges by email volume rather than subscriber count — cheaper if you’ve a big list but email infrequently.
MailerLite is popular for good reason. Clean interface, generous free plan up to 1,000 subscribers, all the features you need without bloat.
Don’t overthink the choice. Pick one and start. You can always switch later.
Building your list the right way
Buying an email list is a terrible idea. Those lists are full of outdated addresses, people who’ve never heard of you, and spam traps. Your emails will go straight to junk.
Instead:
Add a signup form to your website. Simple box, homepage and contact page. Name and email is enough.
Give people a reason to subscribe. “Sign up for our newsletter” is weak. “Get our free checklist of 10 things to check before your website goes live” — that’s a reason.
Ask existing customers. Send them a personal email saying you’re starting a regular newsletter and would they like to be included. Most will say yes. But you must ask — adding people without permission isn’t just bad manners, it’s illegal under GDPR.
Use social media to drive signups. Post your signup link regularly. Share snippets of newsletter content. Use the platform you don’t own to build the asset you do.
What to actually send
This is where people get stuck. Here’s the key: don’t just send offers and promotions. Aim for roughly 70% useful content, 20% business updates, 10% direct offers.
Think about what your customers ask you about. Those questions are your content. A plumber could write about preventing frozen pipes. A web designer could share tips on taking better photos for your website. Whatever you know that customers would find useful — that’s your newsletter.
Some ideas: answer a common customer question, share a recent project, give a behind-the-scenes look at how you work, recommend a useful tool, offer a seasonal tip.
The secret is to be genuinely useful. If someone learns something from your email, they’ll open the next one.
How often to send
As often as you can produce something worth reading. For most small businesses, that’s fortnightly or monthly.
The worst frequency? Random. One email in January, silence until April, three in a row in May. Pick a schedule you can maintain. Monthly is absolutely fine — it’s infinitely better than “whenever I remember.”
Subject lines that get opened
Be specific. “How to stop your pipes freezing this winter” beats “Our November newsletter.”
Keep it short. Forty to fifty characters. Anything longer gets cut off on mobile.
Create genuine curiosity. But don’t clickbait — if the email doesn’t deliver, people stop opening.
Use their name. “Dave, here’s your December checklist” outperforms “December checklist” every time.
A few technical bits
Always include an unsubscribe link — it’s a legal requirement and every platform adds one automatically. Use a proper “from” name (“Chris at Happy Webs” not “noreply@…”). Check your emails on mobile — over 60% are opened on phones. Track what works — open rates and click rates tell you what your subscribers actually care about.
Getting started this week
Today: Sign up for Mailchimp, Brevo, or MailerLite.
This week: Add a signup form to your website. Email existing customers asking if they’d like to subscribe.
Next week: Send your first email. Keep it simple — introduce yourself, say what subscribers can expect, share one useful tip. Three hundred words is plenty.
Going forward: Pick a frequency, set a reminder, write and send. Improve as you go.
If you need help getting email set up alongside your wider digital marketing, we can sort that. And if you want to learn more about marketing on a budget, we’ve covered that too.
Frequently asked questions
Is email marketing still worth it in 2025?
Absolutely. Email consistently delivers the highest ROI of any marketing channel — around thirty-six pounds for every pound spent. Unlike social media, you own your list and aren’t dependent on algorithm changes.
How often should a small business send emails?
Monthly or fortnightly is realistic and effective. Consistency matters more than frequency — a reliable monthly email builds more trust than sporadic bursts followed by silence.
How do I get people to subscribe?
Give them a reason beyond “sign up for our newsletter.” Offer something useful — a free checklist, a guide, exclusive tips. Add signup forms to your website, ask existing customers personally, and promote your list on social media. Never buy a list.
What should I write about?
Write about what your customers ask you about. Answer common questions, share useful tips, show your recent work. Aim for 70% useful content, 20% business updates, 10% offers.