Is Email marketing dead? 8 Ways to upgrade your emails strategy! [2025]

Some say email marketing is dead due to the explosive growth of social media, chatbots, & even instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. But let’s be clear email marketing is far from dead. It’s just different now.

According to recent studies, email marketing still boasts a massive ROI of 4,400%. That’s $44 for every $1 spent. While social media platforms may get all the hype, views & engagements, email remains a direct line to your audience, making it one of the most valuable marketing channels.

But here’s the catch - it’s not about sending generic emails to your list anymore. It’s about personalization, deliverability, and engagement. The key to staying relevant in today’s market lies in understanding the strategies that work and adapting your approach accordingly. In this blog, I've added 8 ways to up your email marketing game.

1) Subject line: Over 50% of emails are now opened on mobile. This means long subject lines just get cut off. If your hook doesn’t hit in the first 30-40 characters, your open rate’s going to suffer.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, or Copy.ai are helpful for brainstorming variations and testing tone, but don’t just pick the cleverest line think about curiosity, clarity, and personalization.

“🔥 You’re missing this” and “Wait… did you see this?” still perform better than robotic announcements. Try A/B testing - emojis, urgency, & even questions to find your own rhythm.

I've added some of my favorite examples here

2) Content:

Today’s best emails feel like a conversation, not a company announcement. Use a warm, second-person tone (“you”), short paragraphs, and plenty of white space. Bold a few key lines, throw in a quick story, and always have one clear action.

Give them something useful fast, and lead them somewhere deeper (like a blog or offer). Don’t be afraid to sound like a real human. In fact, that’s exactly what works.

This website helps me with email content ideas 3) Lead Systems: Personally, for lead generation, platforms like Apollo, Clearbit, or Instantly.ai help you collect verified data on your ideal B2B audience. Identifying the right leads are the key. Make sure your CRM and email tool are synced even if that just means a Google Sheet + Zapier combo to start with. This blog shows 50+ best lead gen tools 4) Deliverability: You could write the world’s best email, and it’ll still be worthless if it lands in spam. This is a topic on its own. But here are some points to consider -

• Always use your own domain (not @gmail) and set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records correctly.

• Warm up your sending. Start slow, & never blast thousands of cold contacts at once.

• Clean your lists every month using tools like ZeroBounce or NeverBounce. Lastly, avoid overused trigger words (“FREE”, “Cash”, “Act now”) unless you're doing it creatively. Inboxes are smarter now.

  
  

Learn more on Deliverability 5) Hooks: People skim. Fast. That’s why the first sentence of your email is just as important as your subject line. Don’t open with “Hi, I hope you’re well.” Instead, jump straight into a question, a bold claim, or a story hook.

For example: “I thought cold emails were dead - until this got a 68% open rate.” That’s enough to spark curiosity. Think of your hook as a door: boring ones never get opened.

6) Engagement:

If your audience are clicking, replying, or forwarding your emails, your domain reputation goes up. Include resources, downloadable content etc can be a great idea

Bonus points if you include a mini challenge, checklist, or “Tap to reply” CTA. The more interaction, the better your future deliverability. 7) Data & Personalization: Everyone personalizes with first names now. What’s next is behavioral personalization. Did they visit your website? Click your blog but not your CTA? Download a freebie? Use that intel.

Tools like ConvertKit, HubSpot, or even Google Analytics + Zapier can help you tag actions and segment users based on real behavior. Then craft emails that feel like they were made just for that person — because they were. 8. Design & CTA

Don’t forget, most people are reading your email while walking their dog or half-watching Netflix. Your design has to be responsive, fast-loading, and focused. Use clear headlines, one central CTA button, and minimal clutter.

Make your CTA benefit-driven & not “Learn More”, but “Fix My Funnel” or “Get the Free Guide”. Tools like BeeFree or Stripo let you drag-and-drop clean mobile-first templates if you’re not into coding. If you're still copying and pasting the same old cold pitch from 2018, your open rates are going to suck. But if you approach email marketing as a relationship builder powered by data, storytelling, and tech, it’s still one of the most profitable things you can do.

Want a free checklist to build this out for your business?

Reply or send an email, I’ll send it your way.