Email marketing works because it reaches people who asked to hear from you, through a list you own rather than an audience an algorithm lends you, at a very low cost per message. What has changed is the bar for getting into the inbox: Gmail and Yahoo now set firm rules on authentication, unsubscribing and spam complaints, so careful senders are rewarded and careless ones are filtered out.
Why does email still work when other channels get harder?
- You own the list. Social reach depends on platform algorithms and ad prices depend on auctions. Your subscriber list stays yours whatever a platform changes.
- It is permission-based. Everyone on a healthy list chose to be there, so the message arrives with some trust already built in.
- It can respond to behaviour. A welcome email when someone signs up, a reminder when a checkout is abandoned, a reorder prompt when a product is likely to run out. These are sent at the moment they are most useful.
- It is measurable. You can see which email, link and offer produced a click, an enquiry or a sale.
The businesses that say email "does not work" are usually sending the same newsletter to everyone, to a list nobody has cleaned in years.
What do Gmail and Yahoo require from senders?
Since February 2024, Google has required everyone sending to personal Gmail accounts to meet a set of sender requirements. Yahoo publishes similar requirements. The main points, in their own words where it matters:
| Requirement | Gmail | Yahoo |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication, all senders | "Set up SPF or DKIM email authentication for your sending domains." | "Implement SPF or DKIM at a minimum" |
| Authentication, bulk senders | SPF, DKIM and DMARC for senders of more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail; the DMARC policy "can be set to none" | "Implement both SPF & DKIM" and "Publish a valid DMARC policy with at least p=none" |
| Unsubscribing | "Marketing messages and subscribed messages must support one-click unsubscribe, and include a clearly visible unsubscribe link in the message body." | A list-unsubscribe header that supports one-click unsubscribe, a visible unsubscribe link, and "Honor unsubscribes within 2 days" |
| Spam complaints | "Keep spam rates reported in Postmaster Tools below 0.3%." | "Keep your spam rate below 0.3%" |
In practice: publish SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for the domain you send from (your email platform's setup guide lists the exact records), confirm your platform adds the one-click unsubscribe header, and set up Google Postmaster Tools so you can watch your spam rate and domain reputation. Messages that fail authentication can be marked as spam or rejected outright.
Which emails bring the most return?
- Welcome series. Two or three emails after sign-up that explain who you are, what to expect and where to start.
- Abandoned cart and checkout reminders. For online shops, often the most profitable automated email. Shopify, for example, can send these automatically, and they are part of our starter Shopify store package.
- After the purchase. How to use the product, a review request, and a reorder reminder timed to when it runs out.
- Reminders and updates. Clinics send appointment reminders, estate agents send new listings matching a buyer's search, course providers send progress nudges.
- Win-back emails to customers who have not bought in a while.
- A newsletter with real value. Useful advice, not a catalogue of everything you sell.
How do you build a list that delivers?
Google's guidance is plain: make sure recipients opt in, confirm each address before subscribing it, periodically check that people want to stay subscribed, and consider unsubscribing people who never open or read your messages. Yahoo adds: "Don't purchase mailing lists", and do not pre-tick the sign-up box.
- Offer something worth signing up for: a useful guide, early access, a first-order discount.
- Say on the sign-up form what you will send and how often.
- Remove addresses that bounce, and people who have ignored you for months.
A smaller list of engaged readers delivers better than a large list of strangers, because complaints and ignored emails drag down your reputation with mailbox providers.
How do you write emails people act on?
- Make the subject line say what is inside. Google's guidelines say not to start subject lines with "Re:" or "Fwd:" unless the message really is a reply or a forward.
- Keep the sender name consistent and honest. Your brand or a real person at your business, every time.
- One main action per email, with a clear button that is easy to tap on a phone.
- Segment rather than just personalise. Sending by interest or purchase history matters more than adding a first name.
- Write short. Short paragraphs, plain words, no hidden text tricks, which Google says can get messages marked as spam.
What should you measure?
Judge email on clicks, enquiries, sales and revenue per email sent, and keep an eye on unsubscribes and the spam rate in Postmaster Tools. If emails get clicks but the landing page does not convert, the fix is on the website, which is what conversion rate optimisation deals with.
Our automation team builds marketing automation and drip journeys, including automated email and WhatsApp follow-ups. Talk to us if you want them set up properly.
Questions people ask about email marketing
Is email marketing still worth it?
Yes, for most businesses that sell to repeat customers or have a considered purchase. It costs little per message, the list belongs to you, and automated emails such as welcome series and cart reminders keep working once they are set up. It works poorly only when the list is bought, stale or sent the same thing every time.
Do the Gmail and Yahoo rules apply to small senders?
Partly. Both set basic requirements for all senders, including SPF or DKIM authentication and keeping spam rates below 0.3%. The stricter rules, such as DMARC and one-click unsubscribe, apply to bulk senders, but meeting them is good practice at any size.
How often should I send marketing emails?
As often as you have something useful to say, and at the frequency you promised at sign-up. Yahoo specifically warns against suddenly sending daily emails to people who subscribed to a weekly or monthly mailing.
Can I buy an email list?
No. Yahoo's guidance says not to purchase mailing lists, and Google asks senders to make sure recipients opt in. Bought lists generate complaints and bounces that damage your sender reputation for the people who did ask to hear from you.
Further reading
Official guidance on the subject, from the platforms themselves: