Email marketing is a form of digital marketing that uses email to connect with potential customers, raise brand awareness, build customer loyalty, and promote marketing efforts.

In the realm of online marketing, email marketing is commonly considered a low-cost but high-impact tool that can increase customer engagement and drive sales. As a result, it is often a cornerstone of many digital marketing strategies created today.

In this article, we’ll examine email marketing’s efficacy and impact, find examples of it in action, and become acquainted with key terms. You will also find a list of email marketing best practices, common email marketing platforms, and suggested online courses to help you get started today.

Email marketing: Impact, examples, and glossary

Email marketing has the potential to improve your marketing efforts. Read on to learn how and learn some of the key terms email marketers use daily.
Email marketing impact

Email is one of the most popular modes of online communication. Experts predict users worldwide will send nearly 392.5 billion emails daily in 2026 [1].

The ability to reach large numbers of potential customers with just a click makes email a relatively cheap digital marketing tool with a potentially high impact. The data backs this up. For instance, one 2024 study of worldwide marketers found that the average return on investment (ROI) for email marketing is 42 USD for every dollar spent [2].

Nonetheless, the ROI for email marketing is different for every industry. Research shows that the average ROI per dollar spent for four different industries is as follows [3]:

Retail, economics, and consumer goods: 45 USD

Marketing, PR, and advertising agency: 42 USD

Software and technology: 36 USD

Media, publishing, events, sports, entertainment: 32 USD

Whatever the industry, it is clear that email marketing offers a potential return worth many times the initial investment.
Email marketing examples

If you have an email account, you likely encounter some form of email marketing. Typical examples of email marketing include:

Email newsletters that inform recipients about upcoming events, such as at a gallery, eatery, or concert venue

Emails promoting holiday sales, such as Diwali or Christmas sales

Emails sent after a purchase (also known as transactional email), offering a discount on a future purchase