Now that social media and mobile apps are the norm, email may strike some marketers as old-school. (Like Fat Bastard’s memorable catchline from the ‘90s Austin Powers movies.)

In fact, it couldn’t be more current. Email is still the most effective way to communicate regularly with customers. And your email database is still one of your company’s most valuable assets. The researchers at McKinsey recently reported:

Email remains a significantly more effective way to acquire customers than social media—nearly 40 times that of Facebook and Twitter combined. The rate at which emails prompt purchases is not only estimated to be at least 3x that of social media, but the average order value is also 17% higher.*

What the experts are saying

If McKinsey’s stats don’t convince you that well-considered, well-executed email can help you connect with customers, perhaps these pundits will have you covering this basic channel before you start looking for “edgy,” “out-of-the-box” ideas.

1. “Of all the channels I’ve tested as a marketer, email continually outperforms most of them,” says Neil Patel, Co-founder of KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg and QuickSprout. If you’re selling a product, deliver your offers by email on a regular basis. If you’re selling a service, use routine emails to remind people why they should revisit your site—for example, to read your newest blog posts.
2. “Our email list is the biggest asset we have for driving new acquisitions,” explains Corey Dilley, Marketing Manager at Unbounce. Remember, every email is an opportunity to speak to your contacts in a creative, targeted way, which helps to prove that you’re relevant.
3. “If I have one regret as a business owner, it’s not focusing on building our email list earlier in the process,” Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, offers. Your audience is your most important asset. Getting an email address is the first critical step to learning about them, driving sales and keeping them happy.
4. “Even if all of my search rankings disappeared tomorrow, I’d still be able to promote my blog to tens of thousands of people via email,” says Ramsay Taplin, founder of The Blog Tyrant. Email provides some protection from Google’s constantly changing algorithms and from social media fads. It also allows you to promote your product or service more efficiently—in time as much as cost—than any other communications vehicle.
5. “You’re not just a status update that’s there and gone, you’re right in someone’s inbox,” explains Nathalie Lussier, Digital Strategist at Ambition Ally. Building an email list is the best way to start nurturing a personal relationship with potential customers.

*Why marketers should keep sending you e-mails