Email marketing is the practice of sending emails to a list of people who gave you permission to contact them, with the goal of building relationships and driving sales. It includes newsletters, promotions, and automatic messages like welcome emails and abandoned cart reminders.
For a business owner, email marketing is the cheapest reliable channel you own. Social media reach changes every year and depends on an algorithm you do not control. An email list belongs to you: nobody can take it away or throttle it. Sending to 1,000 subscribers costs a few dollars a month, and every sale from that list is profit on a channel with almost no marginal cost.
How email marketing works
You collect email addresses with the visitor’s permission, usually through a signup form on your website, a checkout page, or a simple offer like a discount code. You store the list in an email tool such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or Brevo. From there you send two kinds of messages: one-time campaigns like a monthly newsletter or a holiday sale announcement, and automatic flows that trigger on behavior, such as a welcome series for new subscribers or a reminder when someone leaves items in their cart. The tool tracks opens, clicks, and sales so you can see exactly what each email earned.
Example
A neighborhood bakery collects emails at the counter with a simple “get 10% off your next visit” card and grows a list of 400 regulars in six months. Every Thursday the owner sends a short email: this week’s specials, a photo of the new pastry, and a Friday pickup reminder. It takes 20 minutes to write. The Thursday email consistently brings in 15 to 25 extra orders for Friday pickup, which the owner can count directly in the register. The email tool costs $15 a month.
Frequently asked questions
How do I build an email list from scratch?
Start with people you already serve: add a signup form to your website, ask at checkout, and offer something small in return, like a discount, a free guide, or early access to new products. Never buy lists; bought lists have low engagement, high spam complaints, and can get your account banned.
How often should I email my list?
Once a week is a safe starting point for most small businesses. It keeps you in front of customers without wearing out your welcome. Watch your unsubscribe rate: if it climbs above 0.5% per email, you are sending too often or your content is not useful enough.
What does email marketing cost?
Most tools are free up to 500 or 1,000 subscribers. Paid plans start around $15 to $20 a month for a few thousand subscribers and scale with list size. Compared to paid ads, it is the highest return channel for most small businesses because you pay once to acquire the subscriber and reach them repeatedly for free.
Related reading: What is marketing automation?
