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With new social platforms emerging every year, many entrepreneurs wonder if they should leave email behind and look ahead to new avenues. Did you know that email is still the second biggest marketing channel for startups, right behind social media? That’s right! It’s all thanks to its low cost and incredible return on investment (ROI). According to the study by Litmus, it remains one of the best ROIs out there; companies can expect to make a whopping $38 in return for every dollar they spend on email marketing.

As the CEO of Builderall, an all-in-one digital marketing platform that has supported over 2,000,000 small businesses, I often get asked if email marketing is still an effective strategy in this new phase of our digital age. Is it dead in 2024?

I’m here to debunk the biggest myths and set the record straight. Today, I’ll share my insider knowledge to help you see the light.

Defining email marketing

Before we debunk these myths, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page about what email marketing actually is. Many people have misconceptions about this form of digital marketing, which can turn them off — and that leads to missed opportunities.

Email marketing is a direct marketing strategy that sends promotional or informational messages to a targeted audience via email. It goes far beyond blasting promotions or cold outreach. Done right, it builds meaningful relationships between your brand and subscribers. It’s a way to keep them engaged, and ultimately, it’s another way to drive sales.

Some examples include

• Newsletters
• Promotional offers
• Product updates
• Even personalized content based on a subscriber’s interests.

Related: 8 Simple Email Marketing Tips to Improve Your Open and Click-Through Rates

Myth #1: Email marketing is dead

Let’s tackle the elephant in the room first. No — email is not dead! In fact, it’s far from it and still going strong.

According to data provided by Oberlo, 80% of businesses rely on email as their primary customer retention channel. That means they’re using email to keep their existing customers engaged and coming back for more.

But that’s not all. HubSpot found that 60% of consumers made a purchase thanks to a marketing email they received. That’s a huge testament to the power of email marketing in driving revenue for businesses.

Myth #2: People don’t read emails

I can’t tell you how often I hear this myth. Sure, our inboxes have gotten pretty crowded over the years, and many of us receive dozens or even hundreds of emails daily. It’s also true that a good chunk of those emails might get sent straight to the trash or spam folder.

However, according to HubSpot, 46% of smartphone users still prefer to hear from brands via email over other channels.

If you establish trust and send relevant content, subscribers will welcome your emails with open arms.

This stat also highlights the importance of putting care in your campaigns by using compelling subject lines and other email elements to stand out in a crowded inbox.

Myth #3: Younger audiences don’t use email

Gen Z and millennials are the next generation that will have some serious purchasing power. It’s only logical for businesses to look for new and innovative ways to approach them, as they’re often portrayed as being glued to their screens and obsessed with social media platforms.

These stereotypes lead many people to assume Gen Z and millennials are too obsessed with TikTok and Instagram for old-school strategies like email. Let me prove them wrong again. According to the Attest U.S. Consumer Trend Report, 53% of Gen-Z enjoy weekly emails from their favorite brands. For millennials, it’s 66%.

Of course, you’ll want to cater your approach to each audience (throw in some slang or a meme here and there,) but don’t count email out. These generation segments still use and prefer it.

Myth #4: Email has low open rates

The next myth I wanted to touch on is more tangible. Some say email performs poorly compared to social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. For that, we’ll have to look at the open rate.

Open rate is an essential key performance indicator (KPI) in digital marketing because it tells you how many people are actually opening and reading your emails. MailChimp benchmarks tell us the average email open rate across all industries is 34.23%. While that might not sound amazing, it’s definitely not bad either.

With optimization, that number can grow much higher and bring benefits. As reported earlier, that’s why so many businesses still rely on email as their primary customer retention channel.

Related: This One Thing Is the Secret to Higher Email Open Rates

Myth #5: Email marketing equals spam

Finally, allow me to go full circle and return to the definition of email marketing. Too many people confuse general email marketing with a somewhat shady practice: cold outreach.

Cold emails are unsolicited messages sent to people who have not expressed interest in your brand or products. You essentially buy or scrape a list of email addresses (unbeknownst to the recipients) and blast bulk emails, hoping to catch a few leads. They’re often used for prospecting and can come across as intrusive if not done right. That’s because nobody gave you permission to contact them.

On the other hand, email marketing is about building relationships with people who have already shown interest in what you offer. They might have signed up for your newsletter through a lead magnet or opted in to receive your updates. That’s a big difference!

It is this latter form of communication that 81% of businesses use email as their primary customer acquisition channel. It drives results without spam tactics.

Final thoughts

While many entrepreneurs may feel attracted to the latest shiny object or technology, these myths cause many entrepreneurs to overlook email in 2024.

When executed correctly, email marketing remains an indispensable growth lever for startups and established businesses alike. Now that you know the truth, utilize email marketing to boost conversions and retention. With a strategic approach, you may see even higher open rates and ROI than the studies show.

Users spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at a website’s written content. I don’t know about you, but it seems like there is hardly enough time to gain users’ interest, let alone relay the information you want to share — and the information they want to find.

However, following best practices, there is no reason to bombard users with an avalanche of information when they land on your homepage. While there may be a lot of great information about your business, putting it in their faces when they arrive can have the inverse effect, making users feel overwhelmed and pushing them to leave the site.

So, what is the alternative? Thoughtfully crafted messages and content aligned with the customer journey and revealed through a slow, strategic drip known as progressive disclosure.

Related: Your Online Customer Experience Is More Than a Buzzword — It’s the Backbone of Your Business. Here’s How to Optimize It.

But what is progressive disclosure?

Progressive disclosure is about strategically revealing the information a user wants or needs at the precise moment the customer wants or needs it (rather than throwing it at them upfront). This is essentially a strategic approach to planning and releasing content throughout the customer journey to maximize engagement and move a customer through the conversion funnel.

Here’s an example: If you have a product-heavy website, the navigation should direct the user through a seamless navigation. If the navigation is designed strategically to align with the customer journey, then each click is a point on the path of progressive disclosure. As users move around the site, they will slowly but surely learn more about the products and services and find the information they need. This is precisely why websites use a thoughtful navigation system based on logic and integrated into the information architecture that outlines the content and where it should be placed within the site.

Why is progressive disclosure powerful?

The simple answer is that this process is customer-centric. It focuses on what customers want to accomplish rather than what you, the business owner, want to share.

In addition, progressive disclosure accomplishes the following:

• Reduces friction: Information overload leads to confusion and decision paralysis. By presenting information relevant to the user’s immediate needs, you remove unnecessary hurdles and guide them seamlessly toward their goals.
• Boosts engagement: Curiosity thrives when there is something more to discover. As users uncover new features and functionalities, their interest remains piqued, encouraging further exploration and deeper product engagement.
• Builds trust: When users feel they’re being led, not overwhelmed, trust flourishes. Progressive disclosure shows respect for their time and attention, fostering a positive relationship between them and your product.

Related: 7 Ecommerce Customer Experience Strategies for Effective Branding in 2024

Want to rework your website so it’s aligned with your customers?

If you want to rework your website or consider how your content is aligned with your customers, here are a few considerations that will help ensure you are applying progressive disclosure principles:

• Map the customer journey. Understand the different stages users go through, from awareness to consideration, purchase and beyond. Identify their needs and pain points at each stage.
• Prioritize information. Categorize features and information based on their importance and relevance to each stage of the journey. Highlight core functionalities initially and unveil advanced features later.
• Use microlearning. Chunk information into digestible pieces, delivered through tutorials, tooltips, and interactive prompts. This makes learning effortless and avoids cognitive overload.
• Leverage visual cues. Employ clear design elements like hierarchy, icons, and animation to guide users’ attention and highlight key information.
• Gather feedback. Continuously analyze user behaviors on your site and collect feedback to understand what resonates. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and implement valuable changes.
• Use multiple touchpoints to communicate. While this strategy can be applied to a website, it applies to all digital communication channels. Most who visit your website either have a specific reason or are fact-finding. So consider using other digital channels, such as SMS and digital cards, to communicate more important (or urgent) messages in real-time.

Applying progressive disclosure isn’t just about withholding information; it’s about crafting a captivating narrative that unfolds as the user interacts with your brand. Applying this approach can foster trust, increase engagement, and ultimately create satisfied customers.

Remember, we’re not just selling products or services; we’re guiding users on a journey, and every step along the way matters. By unveiling the right information at the right time, we transform their experience from overwhelming to empowering, paving the way for sustainable success.

Dive into Swae Lee’s remarkable journey, from clocking in at Mcdonald’s to hitting the heights of the music industry. In this conversation, Swae Lee spills the secrets of his winning mindset, unwavering dedication and the vital role of genuine relationships.

More Episodes: Win Big with Clinton Sparks

Here’s a breakdown of all the things we discuss in the podcast:

The Global Impact of Entrepreneurship:

• Entrepreneurship knows no geographical boundaries. Entrepreneurs around the world are creating solutions to global challenges and contributing to a more interconnected world.

Swae Lee’s Early Aspirations:

• Swae Lee’s early aspirations were rooted in music, driven by a passion for creating and performing.
• He dreamt of making a name for himself in the music industry from a young age.
• Swae Lee’s aspirations laid the foundation for his successful music career.
• His early dreams and goals ultimately shaped his journey to stardom.
• These aspirations motivated him to work tirelessly to achieve his musical ambitions.

Hard Work and Persistence:

• Hard work and persistence have been Swae Lee’s guiding principles throughout his career.
• He firmly believes in the value of consistent effort and determination.
• Swae Lee’s success is a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft.
• The music industry demands hard work and persistence to overcome challenges.

Overcoming Challenges for Success:

• Swae Lee has faced numerous challenges on his path to success in the music industry.
• Overcoming these challenges has made him a stronger and more resilient artist.
• Each obstacle he encountered became an opportunity for growth and improvement.
• Swae Lee’s ability to overcome challenges has contributed to his rise in the industry.
• He views challenges as stepping stones toward achieving greater success.

Networking in the Music Industry:

• Networking plays a crucial role in Swae Lee’s journey in the music industry.
• Building connections with other artists and industry professionals has been key to his success.
• Effective networking has opened doors to collaborations and opportunities.
• Swae Lee recognizes the importance of cultivating relationships to advance his career.
• In the music industry, networking is more than a skill—it’s a strategic advantage.

Navigating Relationships in the Music Industry:

• Navigating relationships in the music industry can be complex due to its competitive nature.
• Swae Lee has learned to balance personal and professional relationships to maintain success.
• Building trust and managing relationships with colleagues is essential in the industry.
• Nurturing positive connections has contributed to his career’s longevity.
• Successfully navigating relationships has allowed him to thrive in the music world.

Walgreens is the latest chain to face mass closures.

On Thursday, Walgreens announced that it would be closing a “significant” number of underperforming stores across the country.

“The current pharmacy model is not sustainable,” CEO Tim Wentworth told investors on an earnings call. “Changes are imminent.”

Related: Walgreens’ Battle Over High-Tech Cooler Doors Heats Up

Wentworth said that it would “take a hard look” at 25% of its stores over the next three years with the potential for closure, which means that 2,150 stores could be up for shutting down.

Walgreens currently operates 8,600 stores.

“The consumer is absolutely stunned by the absolute prices of things, and the fact that some of them may not be inflating doesn’t actually change their resistance to the current pricing,” Wentworth told investors. “So we’ve had to get really keen, particularly in discretionary things.”

Walgreens Boots Alliance stock plummeted over 24% in a 24-hour period upon the release of its fiscal Q3 2024 earnings, which reported $36.4 billion in revenue.

The company revealed that it was hit with a $2.7 billion bill by the IRS after the agency conducted audits and reportedly found issues with Walgreens’ transfer pricing between 2014 and 2017.

Related: Walgreens Unveils New CEO, $1 Billion Cost-Cutting Plan

“The Company intends to vigorously defend its position on the transfer pricing matter through the IRS’s administrative appeals office and, if necessary, judicial proceedings and is confident in its ability to prevail on the merits,” Walgreens said via the filing at the time.

As of Thursday afternoon, Walgreens Boots Alliance was down nearly 59% year over year.

AT&T wants the seven biggest and most profitable tech companies, namely Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla, to help subsidize Internet and telephone access in the U.S.

AT&T CEO John Stankey said on Monday at a telecoms forum that big tech companies should be required to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF), a federal program that spends $8 billion a year on phone, Internet, and other telecommunications services.

The fund supports lower-income customers, customers who live in rural areas, or those who reside in high-cost areas. It also brings internet and phone service to eligible schools and libraries.

“The seven largest and most profitable companies in the world built their franchises on the internet and the infrastructure we provide,” Stankey said, per a Reuters report.

“Why shouldn’t they participate in ensuring affordable and equitable access to the services of today that are just as indispensable as the phone lines of yesteryear?” he added.

^{John Stankey, AT&T CEO. Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

As a telecommunications company operating in the U.S., AT&T is required to contribute to the USF.

The fund takes a percentage of AT&T’s revenues, starting at 15.5%.

AT&T charges its customers a Universal Connectivity Charge based on the USF percentage — so at the end of the day, AT&T’s customers pay an additional cost that goes towards the fund.

“In the competitive industry we are in, we cannot afford to absorb the costs associated with the USF that have been imposed on AT&T,” a company webpage reads.

Related: AT&T CEO Reveals Cause of Mass Outage, Offers Account Credit

Stankey isn’t the only AT&T executive to recently call attention to the USF fee. Earlier this month, AT&T executive vice president of federal regulatory relations Rhonda Johnson wrote that the company’s USF contribution percentage was now 34.4% — and had remained at above 30% for the past four quarters.

Johnson wrote that Congress should expand the USF’s sources of funding to “tech companies – like Meta and Google – that utilize consumer broadband connections.”

These big tech companies have profited from having Americans online and should also contribute to a reformed fund, according to Johnson.

Related: AT&T Customer Data Leaked to ‘Dark Web,’ Millions Affected

There are few guarantees in business, but this one is certain: If you don’t keep customers, you won’t have a business for long. Yet, at a time when most companies are desperately trying to maintain customer loyalty (retention is more profitable than acquisition, after all), there’s often a missing link in their efforts: Understanding the powerful connection between customer satisfaction and employee engagement — and how to unlock it.

As a Chief People Officer currently overseeing my company’s customer organization, I’ve seen first-hand how connected they truly are. At its most basic, losing customers can have a direct impact on employee morale and even lead to regrettable talent turnover. But there’s more nuance to this connection: nearly everything employees do has the potential to deeply impact customers. In turn, customer feedback and outcomes can have a powerful effect on an employee’s sense of purpose, achievement and satisfaction.

Related: 7 Surefire Ways to Turn Your Low Customer Retention Rates Around

I’ve witnessed how establishing a customer-centric approach across the entire organization can lead to growth opportunities that benefit both employees and customers. But to get there, businesses need to leverage that connection by making customer success the forefront of every employee’s experience. Here’s how.

Make customer success everyone’s responsibility

Most companies take a siloed approach to customer success, relegating it to a single department, while others remain largely insulated from customer interaction. But I’ve come to realize that the more we empower all of our cross-functional teams to contribute to customer success, the more purposeful, impactful and engaging their roles become, and the more they can drive customer loyalty and retention.

For a more holistic approach, I am a fan of the bowtie model. In contrast to the traditional marketing funnel, which ends when a customer converts, the bowtie provides a more end-to-end representation of the customer journey. It’s a better way to ensure everyone in the company is maximizing engagement with the customer over the long term — whether through strategic ongoing communication and marketing efforts or more integrated processes and practices designed to deepen this relationship.

One way we do this at my company is by encouraging every department to evaluate every task — and every ask — from the perspective of how it benefits the customer. Whether it’s marketing, sales, product or engineering, this filter is applied to all decision-making. Of course, we also look to metrics like Customer Satisfaction Score, customer retention, and revenue expansion with existing customers to ensure our efforts translate into results.

Supercharge customer touchpoints

I recently traveled overseas to meet with a customer, and as I was leaving, their CFO turned to me and said something I’ll never forget: “Don’t get me fired.” It’s a powerful reminder that our view on customer success must be broader than just ensuring product integration or stability. Everything we do has a ripple effect on their company’s success, which can impact their personal reputation, too.

The concept of radical empathy isn’t new in customer service. Cultivating a deeper understanding of customer needs is crucial for effective product development, marketing and sales, but it can easily get lost once a customer is onboarded. Building more proactive touchpoints with customers —and even baking them into the early stages of product development — can help overcome this oversight.

For us, that means attending industry events and building out strategic channels and information-sharing communities to better understand their sticking points. We’ve also established customer segments and verticals to identify and interact with the unique needs of different types of customers to deliver a personalized service approach. When we understand how customers are using our product — and particularly their pain points — we can better target everything from our marketing and sales campaigns to all product-focused initiatives

Everyone in our organization knows customer retention is a team sport. Reaching out to customers to help solve product issues or when launching something new is not only possible but preferable. That’s precisely why we launched a customer retention program that treats flight risks as a pipeline and leverages tightly coordinated collaboration across departments to deliver impact to those customers.

Most importantly, these frequent and proactive touchpoints also allow us to learn what is working for our customers, which we’ve seen be a powerful motivator for our team.

Related: 3 Ways Founders Can Connect With Their Customers to Drive Sales

Don’t overlook the link between employee experience and customer experience

Being on the receiving end of an exceptional customer experience can radically shift the way we perceive a business. It turns out that when an employee has a hand in making that happen, it can be just as impactful for them.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise: today’s employees are looking for purpose in their work. Who doesn’t want to make a difference in the lives of others? Connecting this desire to customer success initiatives only makes sense — it improves the ability to deliver on customer promises and makes the workplace more satisfying for all.

And I believe organizations can take this connection a step further: pouring the same energy into employee experience that they do in fulfilling customers. In one of my previous roles, we would actively measure customer retention against employee retention and found a strong correlation between the two. These results were interesting but not shocking: prioritizing employee experience leads to more engaged employees, who, in turn, are motivated to create better customer experiences. Simply put, boosting satisfaction in one camp can effectively raise retention and productivity levels for both.

Of course, this balance isn’t always easy to get right. But in my experience, incremental improvements are what add up over time. Starting small is better than not at all. At the end of the day, the more your employees know, understand and care about your customers, the better they’ll serve them (and the more they’ll enjoy the results) — regardless of the role they are in. And that’s a true win-win for the bottom line.

Car dealerships across the country are being forced to use paper forms as the auto industry looks to recover from a cyberattack that caused mass outages last week.

The attack hit CDK Global Systems, a cloud-based software that runs all back-end financials and information on car sales, financing, repairs, maintenance, and more. The company serves an estimated 15,000 car dealerships across the country.

Ford and Kia noted in statements to Reuters that some operations have been affected.

The interfaces were reportedly hit with back-to-back cyberattacks that caused dealerships to begin shutting down operations as early as Wednesday around 2 a.m. EST.

Related: Mark Cuban Issues Warning After His Google Account Is Hacked

Per Bloomberg, the group that claimed responsibility for the attack (which is believed to be based in Eastern Europe) demanded tens of millions of dollars in ransom to cease the system hack ahead of the weekend, which CDK was reportedly willing to pay.

“In the interim, we are continuing to actively engage with our customers and provide them with alternate ways to conduct business,” CDK told Reuters.

The software company is also planning to run an internal investigation and is cooperating with authorities as it works towards the full restoration of its services nationwide.

Related: GM Taps Costco to Sell Chevrolet, Cadillac Electric Vehicles

The restoration was underway by Monday afternoon, though CDK said that it estimated that full restoration would take “days” and not weeks to complete. Still, it did not give an exact estimated timeline as to when dealerships would be able to resume business as usual.

CDK did not clarify exactly how many customers were still affected by the attack as of Monday afternoon.

Working, watching videos, and browsing the internet should be safe and private experiences. Unfortunately, public networks are often hazardous places riddled with hackers and advertisers. That’s why an increasing number of people these days are turning to VPN subscriptions.

If you haven’t yet, it’s time to consider how much of your data and personal information you’re leaving vulnerable every time you hop on a public network.

To help you out, consider that a two-year subscription to NordVPN is on sale for only $89 (reg. $198) for a limited time only. NordVPN’s Threat Protection is one of its most relevant and helpful features. It’s designed to block advertisements and trackers that can disrupt and slow down your online activities.

NordVPN can scan URLs before you visit them and block you from visiting dangerous sites that could be threats. It looks out for things like spyware, malicious software, trackers, and more, blocking anything it deems a threat. It also keeps you secure when on Wi-Fi networks with top-of-the-line encryption.

For professionals and business leaders, NordVPN’s high-speed capabilities are also well worth paying attention to. Using NordLynx, which is the fastest VPN protocol there is, it helps you and your team members get ahead when working in the office, at home, and on the road.

NordVPN is a critical darling with a 9.3/10-star rating on VPNoverview, and a 9.5/10-star rating on vpnMentor.

Don’t spend any more time leaving you, your co-workers, or your family members browsing at risk. Get a two-year subscription to NordVPN on sale for only $89 (reg. $198) for a limited time only.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

What is Skill Success?

Skill Success is an online learning platform with more than 4,000 online course videos on a wide variety of topics. Entrepreneurs looking to grow their understanding of given industries or fields can come here for video courses on business, finance, technology, cooking, music, and so much more.

How does Skill Success approach learning differently?

Skill Success makes learning new topics immersive and fun with gamified learning. By giving users incentives like earning badges and showcasing achievements, Skill Success keeps making progress fun and motivating.

Are the courses easy to access?

Skill Success courses are accessible from any device, anywhere, and at any time. All that’s needed to log in and watch a video course on a given topic is a reliable internet connection. The one-time payment for a lifetime membership makes it easy to revisit when you need it without any extra worry or planning.

What if I get tired of the Skill Success course catalog?

With thousands of courses on a variety of topics, it would take a lot of time to review, let alone get tired of the content available. At the same time, Skill Success also continuously updates its catalog with new options so that you always have something fresh to learn.

Is Skill Success recommended?

It is. Skill Success has been recommended by PCMag, Entrepreneur, and CNN, among other notable names.

Invest in a lifetime of learning with this lifetime membership to Skill Success, which is on sale for only $99.99 (reg. $540), the best price for this subscription online.

StackSocial prices subject to change.