Why Email Still Works in Social Media Era

I had a client ask me yesterday: "Why should I care about email marketing when social media gets more visibility?" My answer: "Because email is the only channel you actually own." Think about it: Instagram algorithm changes? Your reach drops overnight. TikTok gets banned? Your audience vanishes. Facebook ad costs spike? Your CAC doubles. But your email list? You control who sees it You own the relationship You decide the content You set the schedule You build equity The average ROI on email marketing is $42 for every $1 spent. Yet most brands treat it as an afterthought. They pour thousands into platforms they don't control, while neglecting the channel they do.

“Email is dying.” They’ve been saying it for years. Especially since… → Slack launched → Texting took off → Video calls became the norm …but after 20 years in tech, I still bet on email. Here’s why: ↓ 1️⃣ It’s fully asynchronous Suppose you get a complex project proposal at 11 PM— With email, you can sleep on it and reply thoughtfully in the morning… …no pressure for instant replies. 2️⃣ It’s incredibly versatile Email gives you long-form when you need it… …and quick updates when you don’t. For instance, a CEO can send a company-wide update with: → Links → Attachments → Detailed explanations …and more. Try doing that effectively on Slack. 3️⃣ It’s universal Reaching out to someone at work? Email is still the go-to. It’s professional, expected, and doesn’t assume which platform they prefer. Everyone has an email address… …but not everyone uses Slack or Teams. 4️⃣ It’s traceable Phone calls leave no record. Video meetings get fuzzy in your mind. But emails? They give you a clean, easily searchable trail of communication. Need to recall that important project detail from last month? Search your inbox with a keyword and jog your memory in seconds. 5️⃣ It’s preference-friendly Send… → Text to your reader colleagues → Voice notes for the listeners → Quick videos for the visual learners ...all in one email. People process information in different ways— And this mode of communication respects that. That’s why at Prezent, we’re building toward a truly multimodal, interoperable platform: → AI-powered personalization for each recipient → Seamless integration with other communication tools → Voice-to-email and email-to-presentation conversions The idea? Start with an email. Turn it into a presentation. Convert it to a voice memo. Speak to your audience’s language because… → Some prefer reading → Others like listening → Many need visuals Truth is, email isn’t dead— It’s evolving into smart, versatile, empathetic business communication.

Email marketing is dead, right? Wrong. Let’s dive into why it works, especially in EdTech. First, it's the only thing you truly own. Even on LinkedIn, it's all about doing everything the algorithm wants so a small percentage of your audience sees your post. And surfacing your posts into your network's feed is getting harder and harder. Second, as long as you follow best practices, test and learn from your audience, you will improve open and click-through-rates Third, You can do things you can't do as well on social media. → It’s targeted. ↳ You can reach exactly who you want. → It’s personal. ↳ Nothing feels more direct than an email, and if you do it right, you'll integrate personalization using features from your email service provider. Pro tip: Include your target audience's personal challenges and goals. → It’s cost-effective. ↳ You can get a lot of bang for your buck if you streamline processes. Just don't cut corners -- triple-check your grammar and test on multiple devices (and think mobile-first!). But let’s get into why it’s especially important for reaching K-12 education administrators. Although they are incredibly busy, they still live in their inboxes. They may not have time during the day to check emails, but they do check them daily—even if it means checking in the evening. → It converts. ↳ Email is generally not the first touch with your audience. Typically, your audience has met you at a conference, downloaded a resource, or signed up voluntarily for your newsletter. Note: The exception to this is email list buys (which can also be effective). With that said, email is designed to convert (to download, reply, sign up, etc.), and since they're generally a "warm" contact, they have a higher chance of doing what your email is designed for them to do! Fourth, it can build community. Emails can create a sense of belonging by sharing stories, highlighting achievements, and fostering a community atmosphere. Fifth, you can track what works and what doesn’t. Open rates, click-through rates, and engagement metrics give you clear insights. Sixth, it can help build trust. When done right, they build trust and authority and can foster a direct line of communication. Remember, make all of your emails count. Do this by providing value. Offer something valuable—be it resources, insights, or tips. So....the next time someone tells you email marketing is dead, tell them they're just not doing it right. :) And remember, in the EdTech world, it's not just about sending emails. It’s about building relationships and providing as much value as possible. How are you using email marketing in your strategy? Share your tips and experiences below!

The TikTok "Ban" Wake-Up Call: Why Email Infrastructure Matters The recent TikTok ban scare highlights a critical reality in the creator economy: platform dependency equals business risk. While the debate continues, the data already validates email as the stable foundation creators need. Email marketing ROI: $36-42 per $1 spent Average “real” email open rates: 21.5% Creator newsletter conversion rates: 3-5% Email list monthly churn: 0.1-0.5% Platform ownership: 100% creator-controlled Social media platform volatility impact: - TikTok ban threatens 170M+ U.S. users - TikTok algorithm changes affected 76% of creator reach - Instagram engagement dropped 44% post-updates - General social platform policy shifts displaced ~30% of content Email platforms offer infrastructure stability with nearly 100% uptime and complete data ownership. A creator charging 1,000 email subscribers just $50/year generates $50,000 in predictable annual revenue - significantly outperforming median social media monetization.  The owned infrastructure of email provides stability while social platforms face regulatory uncertainty and algorithms shift based on the whims of a company executive. Email isn't just a backup plan - it's the bedrock of sustainable creator businesses in an increasingly volatile digital landscape.

Social media’s got everyone fooled. You post a few viral clips, gain some followers, maybe even snag a blue check… And suddenly you think you’ve “made it.” Cool story. Now try monetizing that reach without paying for ads. Try announcing something important — and watch the algorithm bury it. Try “owning” your audience when your account gets suspended overnight. Social media is rented space. You’re just living in someone else’s house — and the rules change daily. If you’re not collecting emails, you’re not building a business. You’re building hype with no foundation. That email list? That’s yours. No algorithm. No shadowban. No pay-to-play. Just direct access to people who actually want to hear from you. Social gets you seen. Email gets you paid.

3/4 of my closest friends have left social media (specifically, IG/FB & Tik Tok) completely. The reason why is for another post, TL;DR: people realize the impact social media has on their mental health and are choosing to protect their peace. Here's why this matters for your nonprofit. 👇🏼👇🏼 You don't own your audience on social media, you are on rented land. If people are following your work on social, and then leave, can you still connect with them? I'm not saying you shouldn't focus on social, because there's so much opportunity there, especially for acquisition of new supporters. I'm saying that email list building needs to be your PRIORITY. Find a way to get people from social to email. Quick action steps: 1. Make email signup prominent on your website 2. Offer valuable lead magnets (i.e. petition, recipe book, quiz) 3. Collect emails at every touchpoint - think about your events, direct mail envelopes, virtual events. 4. Create compelling welcome sequences 5. Focus on relationship-building content Why email works: ✅ Direct connection with supporters ✅ You own your list (unlike social followers) ✅ Higher engagement rates ✅ More reliable for fundraising ✅ Not algorithm-dependent ✅ Meets supporters where they are Don't risk losing connection with supporters who care about your cause. Build that email list like your mission depends on it - because it does.

Email marketing is NOT DEAD. Just because people don’t talk about it like they talk about TikTok and Meta, it doesn’t mean it isn’t an effective channel. How many emails are sent per day? Over 300 billion. If email marketing wasn’t effective, you wouldn’t see so many emails sent. Why is email so great? Because it’s OWNED MEDIA. It’s your list, and as long as your respect your audience, nobody can take that from you. It’s not subject to the whims of the TikTok algorithm, or a random Meta outage. Take this for instance; if you were to build a new home, would you want to build on leased land subject to your landlord's whims? Or would you rather build on your own land? Obviously, the latter is the answer. This principle holds for your brand, product or service. Your focus should be on developing a channel you own, not lease. And remember, just because something is the talk of the town, doesn't make it superior.