Email marketing might seem like a “nice to have.” An option you can tap into when you aren’t too busy.
But email’s one of the few levers in your business that directly impacts profits, customer lifetime value (CLTV), and long-term growth…
Without relying on unpredictable algorithms or rising ad costs.
At best, neglecting it leaves plenty of money on the table you could reinvest for more growth (or just pocket).
At worst, it makes you vulnerable to external forces such as those mentioned.
This article breaks down what’s really at stake when you ignore email — and why giving it the attention it deserves might be the most profitable decision you make all year.
Email = Retention, and Retention = Survival
The first purchase can, but does not have to be, profitable. I think of front-end profits as a bonus. A nice-to-have. Yet if CAC rises, it becomes harder to achieve that “nice-to-have.”
And so retention is key to survival and growth once you have a steady lead source.
Even a small bump in retention can drive BIG profits by raising CLTV. Existing customers know, like, and trust you, meaning you don’t have to work as hard to sell to them.
Email/SMS is the most cost-effective way to do that. Not just because it’s “cheap” or because customers automatically add to your list, either.
These two channels are quite personal. Staying in their inbox with solid content + offers grows that relationship while offering plenty of new opportunities to buy.
Compare that to a retargeting ad which, while relevant, feels more “one to many.”
There are two sides to your email/SMS marketing:
Automated Flows
Automated flows are email sequences a customer receives if they perform specific actions or meet specified criteria.
They run 24/7, requiring minimal upkeep once you build them. The benefit here is obvious — the sooner you put them in place, the more you can sell to your list on autopilot.
And, on the other hand… without them, you miss a LOT of easy sales opportunities.
The Post-Purchase Flow is one of the most crucial. It gets the customer excited for their order, helps them achieve a “win,” and closes their next sale (among other objectives).
Without this, customers might feel buyer’s remorse and not feel strongly about your brand, while on your end, you miss easy upsells/cross-sells.
Other retention-focused flows include:
- Review Request Flow
- Winback Flow
- VIP Flow
- Upsell/Cross-Sell Flows
- Birthday Flows
But you’ll also want the “core” flows, like:
- Welcome Flow
- Cart Abandonment Flow
- Checkout Abandonment Flow
- Browse Abandonment Flow
- Site Abandonment Flow
None of these are purely retention-focused, but they do indirectly impact retention and increase your ROAS by scooping up leads who didn’t buy.
Campaigns
Campaigns, broadcasts, blasts — these are all words for regular emails you write to your list.
Done right, these emails build that relationship with your list and give you the chance to sell them what they’re looking for.
Keyphrase is “looking for.”
Customers who bought from you prove to you that you can solve their problems. You’re losing a LOT of easy money and customer loyalty if you don’t get on a regular email marketing calendar.
But, like I said, the formula is content + offer. Things like:
- Product education
- Niche-related tips/advice
- Myth-busting
- Customer stories
- New content (blog posts, YouTube videos, etc.)
And more.
Then, periodically, you can run more sales-focused campaigns like:
- Product launches
- Flash sales
- Seasonal/thematic promotions
Campaigns are where a LOT of your money will be made. If you have good products and cultivate a strong relationship with a solid audience, almost every send will generate sales.
Lastly, worth noting that some new leads may hop on your list for whatever reason but never buy. Even after going through flows like your Welcome Flow.
Email campaigns offer opportunities to convert these customers, raising your ROAS by turning more leads into customers.
Ultimately…
How much easier would business be if you could send an email and make money? Sounds like you’d have a lot more profit in your pocket.
Reliance On “Rented Media” Could Spell Disaster
“Rented media,” aka social platforms and other peoples’ sites, can be pretty helpful. You can build an audience for free or at a low cost on social media. You can go viral and see massive traffic surges without spending a lot of money.
Or you can buy customers and shortcut the process via ads and other paid channels.
However, platforms come and go. Social media algorithms update. Terms of service change. What worked today might not work tomorrow… and, depending on what you sell or talk about, you could potentially get banned or restricted from your social media or ads account.
None of this is a concern with a good email list. You own that list. You can’t be “locked out of sending emails”.
(I know a guy who was locked out of his Facebook ads account for a while. The reason was complete BS but that didn’t matter — if he didn’t have his loyal email list, he would’ve taken a HUGE hit.)
Let’s say your main social platform’s account is suspended temporarily for some spicy takes. Your ad account is restricted because you accidentally violated some dumb rule.
No worries. You’ll be able to chug along by continuing to mail your customer list while you seek out other options or wait to regain access.
(You could even leverage the situation into some funny or passionate “us vs. them” emails that resonate with your list and make them feel a “duty” to buy and support you.)
Without that list? You’re in hot water.
Now, it’s true that Gmail and other email clients can change how they work.
But understanding the basics of deliverability and building a solid relationship with your audience can render most of these problems moot. Customers come to enjoy your emails and seek them out regardless of which tab they land in or which inbox filters are applied.
Email Makes Your Rented Channels Work Better, Too
None of this is to say that rented media is useless. It’s an excellent way for tons of new people to discover you and follow your stuff.
The key is funneling them to your website and your list. Get them to your “digital real estate.”
Email can amplify your social platforms and other rented channels, too.
For example, you can encourage subscribers to follow you on all your socials. That way, if they found you via one channel, you get them onto all the others. As a result, you’re in front of them more often.
Another example is social media giveaways and user-generated content.
You can run social media competitions/giveaways where customers post about you/your product with a caption and hashtag. Tell your list about it and many will be happy to post if they can win something.
Each customers’ friends and followers see those posts. That’s a TON of warm, organic reach. Those people find you, get on your list, and buy from you.
Some brands also share social posts and content to their list. For instance, sending your subscribers to your weekly YouTube video.
“But what if your ESP bans you somehow?”
Well, your email list is NOT the email software you use. It’s just a list of names and email addresses. You can take it to any other ESP. Upload it, get everything set up, and you’re right back to mailing.
So, it’s clear that neglecting your email list doesn’t just cost your profits. It makes your entire business more fragile.
What “Neglecting Your Email Marketing” Looks Like
Neglecting email marketing doesn’t always look like doing nothing. You can do email/SMS and still have a lot of room for improvement.
Subtler signs of email marketing neglect include:
- Mailing 1-2 times a month (or less)
- Sending the same promo blast to everyone
- Having no welcome or post-purchase flows
- Writing generic, lifeless content with zero brand voice
- Sending nothing but discounts/flash sales (no solid content)
- Short, weak automated flows (if not missing)
At best, not doing these may not feel too much like you’re “failing.” However, like I said, you’re leaving a lot of easy money and customer engagement on the table.
It can get worse than that, though. Customers forget who you are. Opens, clicks, and email sales nosedive.
When you do mail, they say, “who is this brand?” and unsubscribe (or worse, mark as spam).
Thus, your list decays.
I’ve seen this happen as a customer myself. Brands that only appear a few times a year, usually around holidays, with a big sale. No clue when I ever subscribed to them (even if I did opt in).
And so I unsubscribe.
Turning Neglect Around
The good news is that a basic, consistent strategy is all you need to get up and running.
Start mailing at least 2-3 times a week. Rip the band-aid off. A bunch will unsubscribe at first. No way around it.
But those initial unsubs are good. Non-buyers are scrubbing themselves from your list. Saving you a bit of work (and money).
Unsubscribe rates will drop eventually and level out to a reasonable rate. People who want to hear from you will stick around. Open rates and click rates will rise. Sales will increase.
While you do this, get the core flows in place:
- Welcome
- Browse/Cart/Checkout Abandonment
And then set up these two:
- Post-Purchase
- Winback
No need to be fancy. “Minimum Viable Flows” (MVF) work for now — use templates if needed, then tweak and adjust to fit your brand voice.
These days, templates + ChatGPT can help you write an MVF much faster. ChatGPT does the heavy lifting, you go in and edit/revise/refine.
I’ve written entire Abandoned Checkouts, for example, in 10 minutes using ChatGPT and a template (head here for a great resource on using ChatGPT to write emails faster.)
Once those are done, polish your opt-in. Test a new lead magnet and improve the pop-up copy. That’ll help you nab more leads, leading to healthier list growth.
That’s all it takes to turn things around and start moving in a positive direction. Maybe a bit of technical deliverability work if list health and deliverability are in a bad spot.
But again, various courses teach you how to do this, or you can hire a specialist to fix it for you.
Ignore Email Marketing… At Your Own Risk
So if you’ve been neglecting email… Now’s the time to change that. It’ll help you reduce dependency on ever-changing algorithms, ad costs, and other outside factors.
No need for a massive, complex strategy to see some returns on your time invested in it, either. Build basic versions of the key flows, mail a few times a week, and revamp your opt-in offer and signup form.
Doing this right awakens a dormant asset (your customer) list and secures you more profits and customer retention.
Soon, it becomes a safety net you can lean on when ad platforms and social media fall short. Give it some more time and it’ll go beyond just a “safety net” and become a big-time profit center.
Pay it the attention it deserves. Your future revenue will thank you.
What To Do Next
- Share this article with someone who might find it helpful (or entertaining).
- Get my free eBook using the form below to learn the 5 things stopping you from turning “one-and-done” customers into repeat buyers.
- Reach out to me if you have a sizable email list and make less than 20% of your revenue through email.