What Is Email Marketing? Definition & Guide

Email marketing is the practice of sending targeted, relevant messages to a subscriber list to build relationships, deliver value, and drive specific actions -- such as reading a piece of content, registering for an event, or making a purchase. It is one of the oldest digital marketing channels and remains one of the highest-ROI channels available, generating an average return of $36 for every $1 spent according to industry data. For content marketing teams, email is a primary distribution and nurture channel.

Why Email Marketing Matters

Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms determine who sees your content, email reaches your list directly. Your subscribers have opted in to hear from you, and when you send a message, it lands in their inbox -- not filtered by an algorithm or buried in a feed. This direct line of communication is one of the most valuable assets a marketing team can build.

Email also enables segmentation and personalization at scale. Different subscriber segments can receive different content based on their behavior, role, industry, or stage in the buyer journey. A prospect who downloaded a guide on content strategy can receive follow-up emails on related topics, while a prospect who visited the pricing page can receive more decision-stage content. This relevance dramatically improves engagement rates.

For content marketing specifically, email is the primary mechanism for distributing new content to an engaged audience. A strong email list means every new piece of content has a guaranteed audience on day one -- not dependent on SEO rankings or social algorithms to build momentum.

How It Works

Email marketing programs typically include several types of messages: newsletters (regular content digests that keep subscribers informed and engaged), nurture sequences (automated series that move prospects through the buyer journey after a specific action), promotional emails (campaign-specific messages announcing offers or events), and transactional emails (triggered by user actions like sign-ups or purchases).

List health is critical. A large but disengaged list hurts deliverability -- if too many subscribers do not open your emails, inbox providers start filtering them to spam. Regular list cleaning (removing inactive subscribers), compelling subject lines, and consistently valuable content all contribute to maintaining a healthy, engaged list.

Personalization improves performance significantly. Emails that use the recipient's name, reference their industry or role, or are triggered by specific behaviors consistently outperform generic blast emails. Building the segmentation and personalization infrastructure to do this well is an investment that pays off in measurably higher open and click rates. Averi helps content teams produce the volume of high-quality content needed to keep email programs running without running dry.

Email Marketing Best Practices

• Grow your list organically through valuable content offers, not purchased lists
• Segment your list so different audiences receive the most relevant messages for their situation
• Write subject lines that are specific and compelling without being clickbait
• Keep emails focused on one clear topic or action -- multiple asks in one email dilute response rates
• Test send times, subject lines, and content types regularly and systematically
• Monitor deliverability metrics (open rate, click rate, unsubscribes, bounce rate) and act on deterioration immediately

Explore More

• 📋 Template: Backlink Outreach Email Templates
• 📋 Template: Cold Outreach Email Templates
• ✦ Example: Best B2B Email Marketing Examples
• 📖 Guide: How to Write Email Sequences That Convert