This post was originally published in the Tenfour blog. They’re a pretty cool copywriting and design agency in Helsinki, and they paid my salary for 9 years. You should check them out! http://tenfour.fi/blog/think-email-marketing-is-dead-think-again/

All the buzz these days is on social media, but email is still an important way to build long-term relationships with your customers or partners. Just ask some of the world’s biggest brands—Apple and Nike, to name a couple—they have email newsletters and actively use them to tell their consumers about the latest company news, special offers, and promotions.

A report from Forbes Insights suggests that email is still a clear winner in gaining consumer loyalty and brand investment, especially when compared with consumer activity in social media channels. Check out some of these numbers:

• A whopping 41% percent of consumers feel engaged with and invested in a brand when they sign up for updates and special promotions sent by email.

• 80% of consumers that were regularly or occasionally engaging with brands signed up for loyalty programs or special promotions.

• 80% of those consumers also indicated they read email alerts or updates.

It’s clear that while social media is all the rage, email still continues to be an important tool in the minds of consumers to make them feel engaged with your brand.

What are your thoughts?