How is this still a thing: Email Marketing?

I have an email. Actually, I use a few email accounts at the same time. What can I say, I'm a rich man and I can afford such cyber-luxury. I find it hard to remember, when it was the last time I got a marketing email? I can only remember reading somewhere that email providers have significantly improved the anti-spam protection. Maybe, all those Nigerian princess and princesses just got tired, eventually. I can't tell a difference between a spam and a sales email? OK, you caught me, I'm guilty as charged. I don't know much about email marketing, but I can certainly tell you a thing or two about writing. There's no email in the world that can make me open and read it. You can be a rock star writer. A Nobel Prize winner for literature. It is no use. I know it better. I always do.

The 21st Century Email Marketing

Every now and then, I hear something like, cost-effective and efficient. One of these emails will get you what you want. You only need a few of them to hit the right targets. Thanks to great content and eye-catching design, your email marketing campaign will be a safe bet. Email marketing - that is cold calling in writing. Cold emails - I like it how it sounds. But, it still works. Yes, it certainly does? Here, I read one comment proudly claiming that riding a bike in order to deliver brochures from door-to-door is still an effective approach. I also remember that the US Army still uses the floppy disks for computers in the nuclear silos. You may think that this is clever tactics to prevent some kind of an electro-magnetic-something shock to the entire system, but the current military budget just doesn't have enough time (read money) to deal with this "antique situation."

I suppose the same goes for email marketing. Are there any people still paying for it? I'm just being honest. That is all. I recently dared to claim that Guerrilla Marketing is practically, but not theoretically dead concept. As a millennial, I have the right to question some of the good old concepts, don't I? Yet, in one of the comments, I found out that I'm just trying to position myself here with controversial posts. Seriously? I love to write. I enjoy even more reading other Warrior's posts and comments. The last thing I want to be bored and respectful toward traditional concepts. Right?

Is it still working? Is it always ethical?

Honestly, I was checking out the categories here and then I saw "Email Marketing." I immediately asked myself the most logical question, how is this still a thing? Seriously? Nowadays, you have so many additional options available to reach people - your potential users or customers. All I have to do is to mention social media. Right again? I imagine myself talking to an email marketer. Let us say, I can write some decent content for emails we plan to send. I have no problems paying for some rock star email design either. Now, how my email marketer is going to provide me with a list of happy recipients? Is it ethical? Wait, the big cyber boys, such as LinkedIn, Grammarly, and others, keep emailing me on a regular basis. Yet, do you really believe it is effective? Are they selling me more than usual? Do I decide to sign up after reading a heartbreaking email? So, what is the point?

It's just like some old army generals are justifying the outdated tanks in their military bases. They are obviously old, but we may still find them to be useful and reliable in the uncertain future. I'm saying right here and now, the same applies to email marketing. You send an email of hope and then you sit, eat, pray and love. I would also die for a comment, which wouldn't start with a phrase, you don't know a thing about email marketing. That is right. Now, tell me something I don't know. Knock me off my feet with a shiny example how email marketing can still save a day, despite all changes and improvements in this field. I spent some time in sales. I remember that the biggest challenge always used to come from a guy saying, I just couldn't care less for your service or offer. Or, I really don't need your product. Oh boy, those were the days. You make this kind of guy sign or buy and no provision in the world could possibly match the feeling.

I'm waiting. I do care, but I just don't believe in email marketing. Yet, this doesn't make me a bad Internet marketer. Remember, there are no stupid questions, but only the stupid answers. There is no controversy, only two sides with equally strong arguments. There are no holy cows in Internet marketing, or are they?

Maintenance vs Conquest

Just got an email. I see it on my screen. LinkedIn is all about its new feature called ProFinder. OK, I will check as soon as I'm done writing a conclusion here. So, it works? Again, maybe for the big boys and major league players. But, what about startups? What about guys just like me? Can you get me more readers with your email marketing? How? Who are those people? For what is worth, it is better to prove one Internet marketing enthusiast being completely wrong, than it is to defend an outdated concept with sentimental reasons and I-will-hit-you-back argumentation. OK, I have to go now. There are some emails waiting for me. Hope to see some strong comments the next time I check my email marketing post. Maybe, there is Fox Email Mulder out there who will show me that is still worth believing. The email marketing truth is out there. Let us see how this category will justify its existence. To honor it properly I will open and read a dozen of emails. It's a deal.