What Is Email Marketing? (And Why Every Small Business Needs It).

Picture this: You're a freelance makeup artist. Your clients love your work, leave glowing reviews, and have an amazing experience in your chair. But once they walk out your door – that's it.

No way to stay connected. No way to inform them about new services. No way to bring them back for repeat bookings.

This was my reality with my first business, and it nearly killed my growth.

When I started my second business, everything changed. I implemented email marketing from day one. Before selling a single product, I built a community around my brand through strategic email marketing.

The result? I generated interest around my products before launch, sent one email on launch day, and watched the sales roll in.

If you're wondering whether email marketing is worth your time and investment, keep reading. This guide will show you exactly what email marketing is and why it should be your #1 priority for sustainable business growth.

What Is Email Marketing? (The Real Definition)

Standard definition: Email marketing is communicating with your audience about your business via email.

My definition: Email marketing is the best and most reliable way to stay connected with your community and grow your business consistently.

Most people think email marketing is just about sending promotional sales emails and discount codes. That's only scratching the surface.

10 Powerful Ways to Use Email Marketing

Email marketing allows you to:

1. Educate your audience about your offers and how to use them
2. Keep subscribers informed about business changes and updates
3. Remind customers of events you're hosting or participating in
4. Share industry news that impacts your audience
5. Inspire and motivate with your story, client spotlights, or industry leaders
6. Provide useful tips and tricks that solve customer problems
7. Highlight products and services in a non-pushy way
8. Conduct market research through subscriber polls and surveys
9. Promote your marketing platforms and drive cross-channel engagement‍
10. Build genuine relationships that translate into loyal customers

Every single strategy helps you build relationships, grow your community, and ultimately increase revenue.

The Critical Question Every Business Owner Must Ask

Before we dive deeper, I want you to seriously consider this question:

"If social media disappeared today, could you still connect with your past, current, and future customers consistently?"

If the answer is no, you need email marketing. Here's why.

3 Compelling Reasons Every Small Business Needs Email Marketing

Reason 1: Email Adoption Is Massive (And Growing)

By 2023, an estimated 4.3 billion people worldwide will be using email. That's more than half the global population actively checking their inboxes.

Why email dominates communication:

• Official communication - People treat emails as important messages‍
• Privacy - Conversations aren't on public display like social media‍
• Reliability - Emails reach their destination quickly and are automatically saved‍
• Consumer preference - Buyers actually want emails from their favorite brands

The bottom line: Your customers are already using email daily. You just need to be there when they check their inbox.

Reason 2: Email Marketing Drives Customer Retention and Repeat Business

This is what I was missing in my first business. I worked incredibly hard to gain new customers but had no system to ensure they returned.

Here's the reality: Most successful businesses, regardless of size, thrive on repeat customers.

Think about your favorite hair conditioner. Whether it's the scent, the results, or brand loyalty – when you run out, you specifically seek that product again. You're a repeat customer.

Email marketing helps you create repeat customers by:

• Reminding customers when it's time to repurchase
• Introducing new ways to use existing products
• Sending exclusive discount codes for future purchases
• Keeping your brand top-of-mind between purchases

The data backs this up: Nearly 60% of consumers say marketing emails influence their purchasing decisions.

Reason 3: You Own Your Email List (The Most Important Reason)

Remember that critical question about social media disappearing? Here's why it matters:

You don't own your social media profiles.

If Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest shut down tomorrow, how would you reach the followers you've worked so hard to build?

If your account gets deactivated (through no fault of your own), how would you maintain consistent customer communication?

With email marketing, you never have to worry about:

• Unexpected platform shutdowns
• Account deactivations
• Algorithm changes hiding your content
• Platform restrictions on content types
• Limited space for your message

The Email Marketing Advantage Over Social Media

Social media challenges:

• Posts may not reach your followers due to algorithms
• Content restrictions limit authentic expression
• Platform changes can destroy your reach overnight
• You're building on rented land

Email marketing benefits:

• Direct delivery to subscriber inboxes
• Unlimited space to showcase personality and brand values
• No algorithm determining who sees your content
• Complete ownership of your customer relationships

Here's what I love most: When I send an email, I know it reaches my subscribers. Unlike Instagram, where posts might not appear in followers' feeds unless they're actively looking for my content.

The Foundation of Sustainable Business Growth

Email marketing isn't just another marketing channel – it's the foundation of sustainable business growth.

Once you have someone's email address, that connection can't be taken away from you by algorithm changes or platform policies.

Owning your email list gives you:

• Confidence to show up authentically
• Freedom to communicate without platform restrictions
• Control over your customer relationships
• Consistency in revenue generation
• Community building based on brand values, not just likes and comments

Getting Started With Email Marketing

If you're convinced that email marketing belongs in your business strategy (and you should be), here's how to begin:

1. Choose an email marketing platform that fits your needs and budget
2. Create a compelling lead magnet to attract subscribers
3. Set up a simple welcome sequence for new subscribers
4. Develop a consistent sending schedule (at least twice monthly)
5. Focus on value and relationship-building before selling

The Bottom Line

Email marketing isn't optional for serious business owners – it's essential. While social media is fantastic for discovery and engagement, email marketing is where you build lasting relationships and generate consistent revenue.

The businesses that thrive long-term are those that own their customer relationships. Email marketing is how you ensure that no matter what happens in the digital landscape, you can always reach the people who matter most to your business.

Don't make the same mistake I made with my first business. Start building your email list today, and create a marketing asset that you truly own.

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