Age of AI

Is email marketing still working?

Andy's view that email isn't performing like it used to, set against the evidence on both sides.

This is one person's view from practice, not a measured finding. Here is what the evidence says, on both sides.

Evidence that supports the view

• Stricter inbox rules. Since 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to authenticate their email, offer one-click unsubscribe and keep spam complaints low (Google, Yahoo). Senders who don't comply risk landing in spam or being blocked.
• Opens are harder to measure. Apple Mail Privacy Protection loads remote content privately, which hides whether someone opened an email (Apple). Litmus explains this inflates and distorts open rates (Litmus). Some of the "decline" people feel may be in the numbers as much as the results.
• More competition for attention. Inboxes are crowded, and tabbed inboxes and filters push promotions out of the main view.

Evidence that complicates it

• Email platforms still publish benchmark engagement figures by industry, and many businesses continue to rely on email (Mailchimp benchmarks). Benchmarks vary widely by sector and list quality.
• The new inbox rules mainly penalise poor practice. Small lists of people who genuinely asked to hear from you are less affected.
• Email is an owned channel: unlike social reach or search traffic, a platform algorithm can't take your list away.

A balanced conclusion

The data is mixed. Email as a "send to everyone and hope" tactic is clearly weaker. Email as a small, permission-based, genuinely useful channel can still earn its place – but measure it by clicks, replies and sales rather than opens, and don't rely on it alone.

What to do if email has dropped off for you

• Check authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) with your email provider.
• Remove people who haven't engaged in a long time.
• Send less, but make each email worth opening.
• Track clicks and sales, not opens.
• Make sure you have valid consent (ICO).