Why Email Marketing Still Works (When It’s Done Properly)

Email marketing has been around for a long time, but when done well, emails remain one of the most effective tools for both B2B and B2C businesses. The key difference between emails that get opened and emails that get ignored comes down to three things: relevance, language and design. Underpinning all of this is the quality of your data.

Email marketing is not about sending more emails to more people, it is about sending the right message to people who want to hear from you.

Real Results from Engaged Audiences

Across both B2C and B2B, we consistently see strong performance when email marketing is built on genuine interest rather than volume.

For example, a local leisure business in the B2C space recently emailed its subscribers about a short-term course. The response was so strong that places sold out quickly, prompting the business to add an additional session after direct customer demand. That single email reached just over 1,400 subscribers and achieved an open rate of 74%, well above industry averages.

In another B2C example within the luxury home and lifestyle sector that as a local business ship all over the UK, a business with a carefully built list of just under 8,000 subscribers regularly sees average open rates of around 46%. Their database has been grown organically over many years through genuine customer relationships, and the emails consistently generate direct sales to their e-commerce website.

On the B2B side, a specialist engineering company uses email to share targeted insights, case studies and new product ranges. With a focused audience of fewer than 1,000 subscribers, their average open rate is 39%, again significantly above average for the sector.

These results span different industries and audiences, but they all share the same foundations: relevance, clarity of message and a list of people who have actively chosen to receive updates.

Relevance and Frequency Go Hand in Hand

Relevance is the biggest factor in whether an email makes people stop and read. Inboxes are busy and it is very easy to hit delete, so if an email doesn’t feel useful, timely or interesting, it will be discarded within seconds. For B2B audiences, relevance often comes from sharing industry insight, practical advice, product updates or case studies that genuinely help someone do their job better. For B2C audiences, it might be offers, tips, inspiration or updates that align with a customer’s interests or previous purchases. The better you understand your audience, the more relevant your emails become, and that understanding starts with how you collect and use your data.

How often you send emails matters just as much as what you send. Too many and you risk becoming background noise or appearing spammy; too few and people forget who you are. There is no universal rule, but for many businesses, one well considered email a month is enough to stay front of mind without overwhelming inboxes. When emails arrive at a predictable rhythm, people start to recognise them and, over time, even expect them. Finding the right frequency for your audience and sticking to it is a key part of building long-term engagement and trust.

Language Matters More Than You Think

The tone and language of your emails should sound human, not automated. People respond to emails that feel like they were written for them, not blasted out to thousands of inboxes.

In B2B, that often means being clear, confident and informative without being overly formal or full of jargon. In B2C, it’s about being friendly, engaging and on brand, while still getting to the point quickly with relevant links and good imagery.

Good email copy is concise, easy to scan and focused on one clear message or action. If you try to say too much, you usually end up saying very little.

Design Should Support the Message

Design plays a big role in effective email marketing, and it should make your content easier to read, not distract from it.

Clean layouts, clear headings, strong calls to action and mobile-friendly designs are essential. Most people will read your email on their phone, so if it is hard to read or slow to load, it won’t perform quite as well.

Design consistency also builds trust so emails that look and feel like your brand are more likely to be recognised and opened over time.

A Good List Beats a Big List

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is focusing on the size of their email list rather than quality. A smaller list of people who genuinely want to hear from you will always outperform a large list of disengaged contacts.

Open rates, click-through rates and conversions are all higher when your audience has actively chosen to receive your emails. This is true for both B2B and B2C.

Email marketing works best when it is permission-based and built over time.

Collecting Good Data Organically

Building a strong email list doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional.

Some of the most effective ways to collect good-quality data organically include:

• Having a clear newsletter sign-up on your website that explains the value of subscribing
• Asking customers to opt in to receive offers, tips or industry news at checkout or enquiry stage
• Offering useful content such as guides, insights or updates in exchange for an email address
• Making it easy for people to manage their preferences so they only receive what they’re interested in.

It is important to be upfront about what people are signing up for. When expectations are clear, engagement is higher and unsubscribe rates are lower.

For both B2B and B2C businesses, email remains one of the few channels you truly own. Used properly, it is a powerful way to stay connected, build trust and support long-term growth.