A digital marketing strategy that involves sending targeted messages to a group of people via email to promote products, share news, or nurture customer relationships. It remains one of the most cost-effective and direct forms of digital communication with customers.
Email marketing began in 1978 when Gary Thuerk sent the first commercial email to 400 recipients, generating $13 million in sales. The practice evolved significantly with the introduction of HTML emails in the 1990s and became more sophisticated with automation and segmentation tools in the 2000s. Anti-spam legislation like CAN-SPAM Act (2003) helped legitimize and regulate the industry.
Despite being one of the oldest digital marketing channels, email marketing consistently delivers the highest ROI - averaging $42 for every $1 spent, outperforming social media and other newer channels. The psychology behind effective email marketing is fascinating: subject lines with 6-10 words have the highest open rates, and emails sent on Tuesdays at 10 AM typically perform best, though personalization matters more than timing.
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