What Is Email Marketing [2025 Beginner’s Guide]
Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools in the digital world, yet it’s often misunderstood.
In the short video below, I’ll walk you through what email marketing actually is, how it works, and why it’s still the most profitable digital marketing channel in 2025. If you’re a beginner or brand owner looking for clarity, this is the perfect place to start.
Watch now:
If you learn better by watching or listening, this short video will explain the big picture of email marketing in just 3 minutes.
What Is Email Marketing?
At its core, email marketing is the practice of sending targeted messages to people who have chosen to receive them from your brand.
These people usually opt in by:
Signing up on your website
Checking a box during checkout
Downloading a free resource or guide
Subscribing to your newsletter or blog
They’ve voluntarily permitted you to communicate with them. And that’s the key: email is permission-based marketing. You're not interrupting people, you're continuing a relationship they initiated.
These emails can be:
Marketing-focused (sales, product launches, discounts)
Educational (how-to content, newsletters)
Transactional (receipts, shipping updates)
Relational (welcome emails, post-purchase check-ins)
The goal? To turn attention into action and ideally, into revenue.
Why Email Still Works in 2025
In a landscape full of short-lived trends and social media algorithms, email gives you something more valuable than reach or followers: Control.
When someone joins your list, you get a direct line to them. You’re not at the mercy of platform updates, algorithm changes, or skyrocketing ad costs.
And the numbers prove it: For every $1 spent on email marketing, brands earn an average of $36 in return.
That’s the highest ROI in digital marketing—and it’s not even close.
By contrast:
Paid social ads have become more expensive year after year. In many industries, cost-per-click now exceeds $2 just to bring someone to your website.
Influencer campaigns can cost $1,000–$5,000+ per post with no guarantee of clicks, let alone conversions.
With email marketing, you’re speaking to people who already know you, like you, and want to hear from you.
What Email Marketing Is Not
Let’s clear up a common myth:
Email marketing isn’t just “monthly newsletters.”
In fact, that’s one of the least effective ways to use it especially if you’re only pushing out generic updates or company news.
Modern email marketing is about automation, personalization, and timing. It’s about building flows and systems that deliver the right message at the right time.
Types of Email Campaigns You Should Know
If you’re new to this world, here are a few of the essential email types you'll want to understand (and eventually implement):
Welcome Flow Onboard new subscribers and make a first impression
Abandoned Cart Recover lost sales automatically
Post-Purchase Flow Improve retention and repeat purchases
Winback Campaign Re-engage inactive customers or subscribers
Broadcast Campaigns Announcements, flash sales, or content drops
Each of these email types will be covered in the A–Z series on YouTube. If you want to build your skills from the ground up, follow the full playlist.
Why You Need to Start Now
Whether you’re a:
Start-up founder trying to grow sustainably
Marketer working with E-commerce or SaaS brands
Freelancer looking to offer automation services
Or a side-hustler tired of depending on platforms like Instagram or TikTok…
Email is your best bet for building relationships, selling products, and creating a brand people actually remember.
And you don’t need to be a copywriter or designer to get started.
What’s Next?
This is just Part 1 of my Email Marketing A–Z series, where I break down every key concept: from welcome emails to abandoned carts, list segmentation, tools like Klaviyo, and more.
[Watch Video 2: What Is an Email Flow?]
Each video is 3–5 minutes, practical, and super informative. You can binge the full series or come back anytime you want to improve a specific skill.
Final Thoughts
If you're serious about growing your business or learning real digital marketing skills, email is not optional. And it’s one of the few channels where you don’t have to chase algorithms or pay for every click.
This article gave you the basics.
I constantly upload more videos on my YouTube channel to explore more and more topics on Email Marketing.
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